Sunday Trends and Indexes 4/12 (NCAAB, MLB, NHL, Misc.)

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes

Sunday, April 12

Good Luck on day #102 of 2009!

At this time the sports menu in this thread consists of the NBA, MLB, and the NHL until their seasons are played out. Also, general sports news and notes will be posted here.

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.
Any opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the posting member or BettorsChat.
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[pm530]

Daily Sports Roundup

Sunday, April 12

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Celtics clash with the Cavaliers, the Mavs match up with the Hornets, and Cubs take on the Brewers under the lights.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The Cavaliers will host the Celtics in NBA action on Sunday in a possible preview of the Eastern Finals. Boston got past Miami 105-98 on Friday night, with Paul Pierce leading the way with 28 points; Kevin Garnett missed that contest, and he'll sit out Sunday as well. Cleveland is coming off a 102-92 win over the Sixers on Friday, but they fell 105-94 to the Celtics when the teams battled on March 6.

The Heat return to action at home against the Knicks on Sunday, while it'll also be Philadelphia at Toronto, San Antonio at Sacramento, Memphis at the Lakers, and Dallas at New Orleans. The Mavericks and Hornets met in Texas on Friday night, with Dallas pulling out a 100-92 home win as a 7.5-point favorite. Josh Howard had 25 points for the Mavs in the win; Chris Paul had 42 for the Hornets.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

Sunday night's primetime baseball matchup this week will take place in Milwaukee, with the Brewers hosting the Cubs. Milwaukee will send Jeff Suppan to the mound for that contest; the righthander lost to the Giants in his season debut, allowing six earned runs on six hits over four innings. The Cubs will counter with righthander Ryan Dempster, who picked up a no-decision in his start against the Astros earlier this week after allowing two earned runs in six innings.

Johan Santana (1-0, 1.59 ERA) will take on Josh Johnson (1-0, 0.00 ERA) in Sunday's Mets/Marlins matinee in one of the other seven National League contests on the schedule. As well, it'll be Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, Washington at Atlanta, Houston at St. Louis, Philadelphia at Colorado, San Francisco at San Diego, and the Dodgers at Arizona; Dan Haren will get the ball for the D-Backs.

Over in the American League the full slate of games includes Boston at the Angels, with Josh Beckett (1-0, 1.29 ERA) scheduled to face Dustin Moseley (0-0, 4.50 ERA). Rounding out the day: Toronto at Cleveland, Texas at Detroit, Tampa Bay at Baltimore, Minnesota at the White Sox, Seattle at Oakland, and the Yankees at Kansas City; Joba Chamberlain will take the mound for New York.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

The National Hockey League closes out its regular season on Sunday with four games on the schedule. The top matchup of the day will take place in Chicago, where the Blackhawks will play host to the Red Wings. Those two teams also met on Saturday night, but neither can do anything about their playoff positioning at this point - the Wings will finish second in the West, and Hawks will be fourth.

Elsewhere on the Sunday slate it'll be the Rangers at Philadelphia, St. Louis at Colorado, and Boston at the Islanders. The Bruins have wrapped up the top mark in the Eastern Conference, while New York will finish in last overall in the league.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

The final round of The Masters gets underway on Sunday morning, with Kenny Perry and Angel Cabrera tied for the lead at 11-under after three days. Chad Campbell shot an even-par 72 on Saturday, and he's now two strokes back of the lead at 9-under. Jim Furyk (8-under) and Steve Stricker (7-under) round out the Top 5 heading into the final round, while Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods are amongst a group of nine golfers tied for 10th place at 4-under for the tournament.

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[pm530]

Six-pack for Sunday

The top six scorers in NBA history........

1) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387

2) Karl Malone 36,928

3) Michael Jordan 32,292

4) Wilt Chamberlain 31,419

5) Moses Malone 27,409

6) Elvin Hayes 27,313

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Sunday's List of 13: Random thoughts on Easter Sunday.....

13) At first glance, Kenny Perry-Angel Cabrera pairing Sunday at the Masters seems like advantage, Perry, since he's won ten PGA Tour events, but not only did Cabrera win the '07 US Open, he's also won three tournaments on the European Tour. It should be fun.

12) Cabrera has 14 top 10's in 114 PGA Tour events, with earnings of $5,424,057 in this country. He was ranked 69th in world before this week, Perry was ranked 11th.

11) Anthony Kim's rollercoaster week at Augusta: 75-65-72.

10) High drama in Washington DC last night, as Boston U scored in OT to beat Miami, OH 4-3, to win the college hockey national title. Terriers' winning goal was fluky, as shot from left point got blocked by a Miami defenseman, but it popped in air and went over shoulder of the Red Hawks' goalie, who lost sight of the puck. Miami had led 3-1 before Terriers scored twice in 0:42 to tie game. Playoff hockey is highly underrated.

9) When is NHL going to wise up and get some games on ESPN? They do an excellent job of covering the game, and they so visible, it just seems stupid that the NHL doesn't have a presence there.

8) USC's Mark Sanchez won't attend the NFL Draft in New York in two weeks, an indication he ain't going to get picked too quickly.

7) Mark Teixeira sat out Saturday night's game in Kansas City with a sore wrist, which he said prevented him from batting right-handed. If I'm being a jerk here, I apologize, but the guy makes $20M a year, so if he can't bat rigthy, why not bat lefty (Teixeira switch-hits)? If he was good enough to play the field (he said he was) then shouldn't he play and bat lefty, or an I expecting too much from the $180M man?

6) Indians are off to an 0-5 start, giving up 47 runs. Not good. Over in the National League, the Nationals haven't won yet, and may not for a while. They're just not very good. Kansas City is 2-3, but they've scored a total of only eight runs in the five games.

5) Russell Nathan Jeanson Coltrane Martin Jr. catches for Dodgers; he is wearing "J. Martin" on his jersey this season in tribute to his mother's (Jeanson) family.

4) Albert Pujols homered twice, knocked in seven runs for St Louis is Cardinals' 11-2 win over Roy Oswalt and the Astros.

3) Mets got good first start from Livan Hernandez as they won big in Florida, 8-4; Luis Castillo was 4-4 for the Metropolitans.

2) Red Sox held off Angels 5-4 in Anaheim, but Jonathan Papelbon had to throw 39 pitches to earn the four-out save. Jason Bay hit two homers for the Red Sox, who wore new hats Friday night, ones with actual red socks on them, instead of the traditional "B".

1) Pretty good sports day Sunday; first Sunday of baseball, last day of the NHL season, last Sunday of the NBA, Masters final round, so lot of good action. Cubs-Brewers is the ESPN Sunday night game.

We're only 13 days from the NFL Draft; no idea what Detroit will do with the first pick, which obviously will make everything a lot more interesting. If my Rams don't take an offensive tackle, I'll be stunned.

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[pm530]

NBA
Write-up


Sunday, April 12

Hot Teams
-- Celtics won six in a row, 10 of last 11 games. Cavaliers won three in a row, 16 of last 18 games.
-- Mavericks won five of their last six games.
-- Lakers won five of their last six games. Grizzlies won five of their last seven games (7-0 vs spread).

Cold Teams
-- Hornets lost four of their last five games.
-- Heat lost six of their last eight games. Knicks lost 12 of last 15 tilts.
-- 76ers lost their last four games (1-3 vs spread). Toronto also lost last four games (0-4 vs spread).
-- Kings lost their last seven games (0-5 vs spread in last five). Spurs are 3-4 in their last seven games.

Totals
-- Three of last four Dallas games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Boston games went over the total.
-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Miami games; last six New York games stayed under the total.
-- Last three Philadelphia games went over the total.
-- Six of last eight Sacramento games went over the total.
-- Last three Laker games went over the total; last three Memphis games stayed under

Back-to-Back
-- Mavericks covered three of last four if they have game the next nite.
-- Cavaliers are 1-6 vs spread last seven times they had game next nite.
-- Raptors covered three of last four if they play again next night.
-- Kings are 6-3 vs spread last nine times they played again next night.
-- Grizzlies covered six of last seven if they play again the next night.

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[pm530]

NBA


Sunday, April 12

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Trend Sheet
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1:00 PM
DALLAS vs. NEW ORLEANS
Dallas is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
Dallas is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
New Orleans is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
New Orleans is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

3:30 PM
BOSTON vs. CLEVELAND
Boston is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Cleveland is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boston

6:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. MIAMI
New York is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New York's last 5 games when playing on the road against Miami
Miami is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Miami is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home

6:00 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. TORONTO
Philadelphia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Philadelphia's last 14 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games at home
Toronto is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

9:00 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. SACRAMENTO
The total has gone OVER in 7 of San Antonio's last 10 games
San Antonio is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Sacramento
Sacramento is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against San Antonio
Sacramento is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against San Antonio

9:30 PM
MEMPHIS vs. LA LAKERS
Memphis is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
Memphis is 5-20 SU in their last 25 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
LA Lakers are 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games at home
LA Lakers are 11-1 SU in their last 12 games at home

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[pm530]

NBA


Sunday, April 12

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Pick ‘n’ Roll: NBA best bets
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New York Knicks at Miami Heat (-6.5, 211.5)

The Knicks are playing the spoiler role after being eliminated from postseason contention for the fifth straight year.

They dealt a crushing blow to the Magic's hopes of getting the East's second spot with a 105-95 victory in Orlando on Friday night.

"On national television, we were just coming out and trying to play our best," said David Lee, who had 20 points and 16 rebounds to help the Knicks avoid a season sweep by Orlando.

"We were up after three quarters like we have been almost every single game against the Magic this year. We were just able to get some stops this time."

The win was just New York's third in the last 15 games.

"Just a lot of good things, just solid," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "It's one of the first nights we have had that for a while."

New York has won three of its last five visits to Miami and is 29-27 all-time there, including a 7-7 mark in the postseason.

Pick: New York +6.5



Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Lakers (-12, 201)

Memphis is coming off a 106-89 win over Phoenix on Friday - its fifth victory in seven games. The Grizzlies scored 26 points off 22 turnovers and had five players score in double figures, led by Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo, who each had 20.

"It really feels as though we could play anybody," Gay said. "We might as well just go out and just play hard. We have nothing to lose. Our backs are not against the wall. We're just playing free."

With three games remaining, the Grizzlies are looking to the future and with Gay and Mayo leading the way, they're optimistic about next season. The duo is averaging 42.4 points in the last seven games.

"I think the guys are starting to see we can be really good (next season)," guard Mike Conley said. "With a draft pick or two, we'll be back ready to play."

Memphis closes the season with a road game against the Suns on Monday and a home contest Wednesday against Atlanta.

The Lakers are looking to sweep the season series for the first time since 2002-03.

Pick: Memphis +12

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[pm530]

MLB
Write-up


Sunday, April 12

Hot Pitchers
-- Jurrjens is 3-1, 3.45 in his last five starts.
-- Mets won Santana's last six road starts. Marlins won six of last seven Johnson home starts.
-- Rodriguez has 1.46 RA in his last five starts. Lohse is 3-0, 3.48 in his last five starts.
-- Haren has 2.48 RA in his last four starts. Wolf is 4-2, 3.11 in his last six outings.
-- Young is 4-1, 1.80 in his last five starts. Giants are 9-4 in last thirteen Lincecum starts (2.39 RA last seven road starts).
-- Dempster was 4-0, 2.22 in five starts against the Brewers LY.

-- Millwood was 1-0, 2.81 in two starts vs Detroit LY.
-- AReyes was 2-1, 2.08 in six starts LY.
-- Orioles were 0-5 against Shields LY (3-0, 3.60).
-- White Sox won last ten Buehrle home starts.
-- Chamberlain is 2-0, 3.04 in his last four starts. Meche has 2.42 RA in his last four starts.
-- Bedard is 2-0, 2.43 in his last six starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Olsen is 0-2, 9.00 in his last three starts.
-- Harang was 0-2, 4.76 in three starts against Pittsburgh LY. Snell had a 5.40 RA in four starts against the Reds LY.
-- Park has made 280 career starts; he was 1-0, 2.88 in five starts LY. .
-- Cook is 0-2, 5.23 in his last five starts.
-- Suppan is 0-5, 9.93 in his last seven starts.

-- Jackson is 2-3, 6.62 in his last six starts.
-- Purcey is 0-1, 6.27 in his last three starts.
-- Eaton is 1-5, 9.00 in his last six starts.
-- Blackburn is 1-3, 7.89 in his last five starts.
-- Cahill gave up three runs in five IP in his big league debut Tuesday.
-- Angels got 12 runs in 10.1 innings vs Beckett LY (2-0). Moseley has a 5.48 RA in his last eight starts (1-2).

Hot Teams
-- Cardinals won four of their last five games.
-- Colorado won three of its last four games.
-- Marlins won four of their first five games.
-- Braves won four of first five games, scoring 30 runs.
-- Padres won last three games, allowing total of nine runs.

-- Tigers won three of their last four games.
-- Bronx won its last three games, 11-2/4-1/6-1.
-- Blue Jays won five of their first six games.
-- Orioles won four of their first five games.
-- Mariners won last three games, outscoring foes 15-9.

Cold Teams
-- Reds lost three of first four games, allowing 25 runs in last three.
-- Washington lost its first five games, outscored 37-21.
-- Astros lost four of their first five games.
-- Diamondbacks lost three of last four games.
-- Giants lost three of their last four games.

-- Indians lost first five games, allowing 47 runs.
-- White Sox lost three of their last four games.
-- Red Sox, Angels both lost three of their last four games.
-- Royals scored total of eight runs in their first five games.

Totals
-- Four of first five Florida games went over the total.
-- Last three Cincinnati games went over the total.
-- Four of five Washington games went over the total.
-- Four of first six St Louis games went over the total.
-- Four of first five Colorado games went over the total.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in San Francisco games this season.
-- Four of first five Arizona games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Dempster starts stayed under the total.

-- Under is 1-4 in Texas games, 4-1 in Detroit games.
-- All five Cleveland games went over the total.
-- Last four Oakland games went over the total.
-- Under is 6-1-1 in last eight Beckett starts.
-- Four of first five White Sox games stayed under the total.
-- Four of first five Tampa Bay games stayed under the total.
-- All five Kansas City games stayed under the total.

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[pm530]

MLB
Trend Sheet


Sunday, April 12

1:05 PM
TEXAS vs. DETROIT
Texas is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing Detroit
Texas is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Detroit is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games
Detroit is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

1:05 PM
TORONTO vs. CLEVELAND
Toronto is 7-15 SU in its last 22 games when playing Cleveland
Toronto is 4-15 SU in its last 19 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Cleveland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Cleveland is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home

1:10 PM
NY METS vs. FLORIDA
NY Mets are 16-6 SU in its last 22 games when playing on the road against Florida
Florida is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Florida is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

1:10 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. CINCINNATI
Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Cincinnati
Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Cincinnati is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
Cincinnati is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

1:35 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. BALTIMORE
Tampa Bay is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games when playing Baltimore
Tampa Bay is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
Baltimore is 2-12 SU in its last 14 games when playing Tampa Bay
Baltimore is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

1:35 PM
WASHINGTON vs. ATLANTA
Washington is 7-15 SU in its last 22 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

2:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Minnesota is 1-7 SU in their last 8 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
Minnesota is 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing Chi White Sox
Chi White Sox are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games at home
Chi White Sox are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games

2:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. KANSAS CITY
NY Yankees are 10-3 SU in their last 13 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
NY Yankees are 12-4 SU in their last 16 games
Kansas City is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
Kansas City is 15-6 SU in its last 21 games

2:15 PM
HOUSTON vs. ST. LOUIS
Houston is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
St. Louis is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games
St. Louis is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games at home

3:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. COLORADO
Philadelphia is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Colorado
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Colorado is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Colorado is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Philadelphia

3:35 PM
BOSTON vs. LA ANGELS
Boston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Boston is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Angels
LA Angels are 10-4 SU in their last 14 games when playing Boston
LA Angels are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing Boston

4:05 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. SAN DIEGO
San Francisco is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing San Diego
San Francisco is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games on the road
San Diego is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
San Diego is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

4:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. OAKLAND
Seattle is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Seattle is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
Oakland is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home
Oakland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Seattle

4:10 PM
LA DODGERS vs. ARIZONA
LA Dodgers are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Arizona
LA Dodgers are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing Arizona
Arizona is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games at home
Arizona is 1-6 SU in their last 7 games when playing LA Dodgers

8:00 PM
CHI CUBS vs. MILWAUKEE
Chi Cubs are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Chi Cubs are 3-6 SU in their last 9 games
Milwaukee is 4-8 SU in their last 12 games when playing Chi Cubs
Milwaukee is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games

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[pm530]

MLB


Sunday, April 12

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Hot lines: Today’s best MLB bets
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New York Mets at Florida Marlins (+111, 7.5)

It's approaching 10 months since Johan Santana last lost a start. He's never lost one to the Florida Marlins.

One day before the New York spotlight will be on Queens for the first regular-season game at Citi Field, the Mets' ace will try to shine against the Marlins on Sunday afternoon when his team looks for the series win.

Santana, though, will have to outpitch Florida right-hander Josh Johnson, who has never lost to the Mets.

Santana (1-0, 1.59 ERA) takes the mound for the second time this season following a 2-1 win over Cincinnati on Monday, when he allowed just one run and three hits over 5 2-3 innings. Unlike last season, when the Mets' bullpen blew five of Santana's nine leads in the ninth inning, first-year Mets relievers Sean Green, J.J. Putz and Francisco Rodriquez threw 3 1-3 innings of scoreless relief.

"They deserve all the credit,'' Santana said. "It's great for us, and it was big for getting the comfort level up."

Santana, though, deserves plenty of credit. The veteran lefty, who led the majors with a 2.53 ERA in 2008, is 10-0 with a 2.07 ERA in his last 18 starts and has not lost since June 28.

He is 5-0 with a 1.83 ERA in five career starts against the Marlins, including 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA in three starts in 2008, highlighted by a three-hitter on Sept. 27 in a 2-0 win pitching on three days' rest.

Pick: New York -119



New York Yankees at Kansas City Royals (+124, 8)

Kansas City starter Gil Meche (0-0, 1.29) was outstanding in his 2009 debut, but did not get anything to show for it. He allowed one run over seven innings and did not issue a walk in a 4-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday.

Meche threw 91 pitches and staked the Royals to a 2-1 lead before manager Trey Hillman turned to the bullpen.

"I felt good enough to go back out and I told 'em that, but you've got some guys down there who've done it before," Meche told the Royals' official Web site.

Meche is 0-2 with a 4.75 ERA in his last six starts against the Yankees. He's 3-4 with a 4.38 ERA against them overall in 13 outings.

Joba Chamberlain makes his season debut Sunday for the Yankees when they try to complete a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals.

There was plenty of attention surrounding the decision by New York (3-2) to move Chamberlain into the rotation last June after he was so successful as a setup man. He had a 2.28 ERA in 20 appearances out of the bullpen when the Yankees opted to try to give their depleted rotation a boost.

Although the 23-year-old right-hander struggled to get lengthened out in his first few starts, he eventually proved he could be effective as a starter, going 3-1 with a 2.76 ERA in 12 starts before moving back to the bullpen.

It has been an eventful past few months for Chamberlain. He pleaded guilty to a DUI charge that occurred in his hometown of Lincoln, Neb. on Oct. 18 and he struggled to provide innings in his spring outings.

His longest effort of the spring was last Sunday when he allowed two runs and two hits over 5 1-3 innings pitching for Double-A Trenton in a camp game against Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Pick: Kansas City +124

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[pm530]

MLB
Baseball Today


SCOREBOARD

Sunday, April 12

Toronto at Cleveland (1:05 p.m. EDT). The Blue Jays are off to a solid start, winning three of their first four games, while the Indians are still looking for their first victory.

STARS

Saturday

-Albert Pujols, Cardinals, hit a grand slam and a three-run homer to match a career high with seven RBIs in St. Louis' 11-2 victory over the Houston Astros.

-Roy Halladay, Blue Jays, held Cleveland to one run and five hits in seven innings, and Toronto beat Cleveland 5-4.

-Jake Peavy, Padres, struck out 10 in 8 1-3 innings to lead San Diego to a 6-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants.

-CC Sabathia, Yankees, gave up six hits in 7 2-3 scoreless innings to lead New York over the Royals 6-1.

-Alfonso Soriano, Cubs, hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the ninth inning and Chicago beat the Brewers 6-5 in Milwaukee.

-Jose Reyes, Mets, hit a two-run homer and finished with three RBIs in New York's 8-4 win against the Florida Marlins.

-Jason Bay, Red Sox, homered twice and drove in three runs and Boston beat the Angels 5-4.

-Melvin Mora, Orioles, hit his third career grand slam to cap a five-run first inning, and Baltimore beat Tampa 6-0.

-Ryan Doumit, Pirates, hit his first career grand slam and Pittsburgh won 10-2 at Cincinnati.

-Kenshin Kawakami, Braves, allowed three runs and four hits in six innings to win his major league debut as Atlanta beat the Washington Nationals 5-3.

WELCOME BACK

Bartolo Colon pitched six strong innings, leading White Sox to an 8-0 victory over the Twins in his first start for Chicago since 2003. Colon is back with Chicago after going 15-13 in 2003 with a 3.87 ERA. He went on to win the 2005 AL Cy Young Award as a member of the Angels, but has made just 35 starts since because of injuries.

WELCOME BACK II

Orlando Hudson crashed Arizona's All-Star party, putting a damper on a nice day for his former team. Hudson homered, doubled and drove in three runs, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks 11-2 hours after commissioner Bud Selig awarded Arizona the 2011 All-Star game at an afternoon press conference at Chase Field. Hudson spent the previous three seasons in Arizona but left via free agency when there were no substantive contract discussions with the Diamondbacks.

REBOUND

CC Sabathia rebounded smartly from his disappointing Yankees debut, leading New York to a 6-1 win over Kansas City with 7 2-3 scoreless inning. Sabathia, signed to a $161 million, seven-year contract in the offseason, gave up only six singles in 7 2-3 scoreless innings. He struck out six and did not walk a batter. It was a far cry from opening day in Baltimore when the 6-foot-7 lefty lasted just 4 1-3 innings. He allowed six runs, eight hits and five walks.

SHARE THE SHUTOUT

Justin Verlander and five Detroit Tigers pitchers combined on a two-hitter Saturday in a 4-3 victory over the Texas Rangers. Nate Robertson earned the win with two shutout innings of relief. Fernando Rodney struck out the side in the ninth for his first save. ... The Baltimore Orioles got six shutout innings from Jeremy Guthrie in a 6-0 victory Saturday night. Relievers Matt Albers, Jamie Walker and Chris Ray preserved Baltimore's first shutout of the season.

CYS SLOW START

Reigning Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee of the Indians lost his second consecutive start, a 5-4 loss to Toronto. Lee didn't drop his second decision until July 6 last season, when he was already 11-1 and on his way to a 22-3 record. But the left-hander failed to get past the fifth inning for the second time. He gave up four runs and seven hits with four walks, and now has a 9.90 ERA.

SIDELINED

Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira was held out of New York's 6-1 win over Kansas City because of a sore left wrist. Teixeira is day to day. ... Seattle right fielder Wladimir Balentien left the Mariners' 8-5 win over the Athletics because of sprained left wrist. Balentien was injured when he dived for a ball hit by Orlando Cabrera in the bottom of the first. He jammed his wrist into the ground on the play but stayed in the game until he batted in the sixth.

SLOPPY START

Oakland's Bobby Crosby made his debut at third base, and mishandled the Mariners' Mike Sweeney's leadoff grounder for an error that started a go-ahead four-run rally. The A's went on to lose 8-5.

SLAM ME

Albert Pujols, Melvin Mora and Ryan Doumit each hit a grand slam Saturday. Pujols also had a three-run homer to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Houston Astros 11-2. Doumit's first career grand slam came in the Pittsburgh Pirates' 10-2 victory at Cincinnati. Mora hit his third career grand slam in the Baltimore Orioles' 6-0 victory over Tampa Bay.

SPEAKING

"The best player in the game.'' - Houston manager Cecil Cooper on Albert Pujols, who hit a grand slam and a three-run homer to match a career high with seven RBIs in the St. Louis Cardinals' 11-2 victory over the Astros.

SEASONS

April 12

1906 - Johnny Bates of Boston became the first modern player to hit a home run in his first major league at-bat. Irv Young allowed one hit as Boston beat Brooklyn 2-0.

1912 - The Chicago Cubs' Tinker-Evers-Chance double play combination played its final major league game together.

1955 - In their first game in Kansas City, the transplanted Athletics defeated the Detroit Tigers 6-2 at Municipal Stadium. The standing-room crowd of 32,147 was the largest paid crowd for any event in Kansas City.

1965 - The first National League home run in the Houston Astrodome was hit by Richie Allen of the Philadelphia Phillies off Bob Bruce in a 2-0 victory over the Astros.

1966 - A crowd of 50,671 welcomed the Braves to Atlanta, but Willie Stargell spoiled the occasion with a two-run homer in the 13th inning to give the Pirates a 3-2 victory.

1980 - In an awesome display of power, Cecil Cooper and Don Money each hit grand slams in the second inning of Milwaukee's 18-1 rout of the Boston Red Sox.

1992 - Boston's Matt Young pitched eight no-hit innings at Cleveland but lost 2-1. In the second game, the Indians managed only two hits off Roger Clemens to set a major league record for fewest hits (2) in a doubleheader.

1994 - Scott Cooper hit for the cycle and drove in five runs to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 22-11 rout of the Kansas City Royals.

2003 - The Detroit Tigers won for the first time this season, getting a three-run homer from Shane Halter to beat the White Sox 4-3. The Tigers (1-9), the only team since 1900 to start back-to-back seasons with nine straight losses, started 0-11 last season.

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[pm530]

NHL
Write-up


Sunday, April 12

Hot teams
-- Blackhawks won five of their last six games.
-- Blues won eight of their last ten games.
-- Flyers are 7-5 in their last twelve games.
-- Bruins won seven of their last nine games.

Cold teams
-- Red Wings lost five of their last seven games.
-- Avalanche lost three in row, 12 of last 13 games.
-- Rangers lost their last four road games.
-- Islanders lost nine of their last eleven games.

Totals
-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine Chicago games.
-- Last seven Colorado games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Ranger games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Boston road games went over the total.

Back-to-Back
-- Chicago lost four of last five if they played day/night before.
-- Colorado lost last six times they had a game the day/night before.
-- Flyers lost three of last four if they played night before.
-- Bruins lost four of last five if they played the night before.

Series Records
-- Chicago beat Detroit 4-2 yesterday, their first win in five tries against the Red Wings this season.
-- Blues won six of last nine against Colorado.
-- Rangers are 3-2 against Philly this year: 4-3/2-5/2-4/4-1/2-1.
-- Bruins won five in row against Islanders, allowing six goals.

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[pm530]

NHL
Trend Sheet


Sunday, April 12

2:00 PM
DETROIT vs. CHICAGO
Detroit is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Chicago
Detroit is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Chicago is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
Chicago is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home

5:00 PM
BOSTON vs. NY ISLANDERS
Boston is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Boston is 2-6-4 SU in their last 12 games when playing on the road against NY Islanders
NY Islanders are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of the NY Islanders last 8 games when playing Boston

5:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the NY Rangers last 5 games
NY Rangers are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games on the road
Philadelphia is 6-13 SU in their last 19 games when playing NY Rangers
Philadelphia is 2-8 SU in their last 10 games when playing at home against NY Rangers

5:00 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. COLORADO
St. Louis is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of St. Louis's last 14 games when playing Colorado
Colorado is 1-11 SU in its last 12 games
Colorado is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home

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[pm530]

NHL


Sunday, April 12

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Ice Picks: NHL best bets
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Detroit Red Wings at Chicago Blackhawks (-140, 6)

After Sunday's regular-season finale, the next time the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings could face is the Western Conference finals.

With the way the teams are playing lately, it's the Blackhawks - not the defending Stanley Cup champion Red Wings - who are primed for a postseason run.

Chicago will look to continue that momentum heading into its first postseason appearance in seven years on Sunday at home, while Detroit will try to finish the regular season on a positive note going into its title defense.

The fourth-seeded Blackhawks (45-24-12) will face Calgary in the first round, while the No. 2 seed Red Wings (51-20-10) will take on Anaheim or Columbus depending on Sunday's St. Louis-Colorado game.

If the Blues win, Detroit would get a first-round matchup with Columbus, otherwise it's the Ducks who come to Joe Louis Arena.

In opener of a home-and-home series Saturday in Detroit, Chicago clinched home ice against the Flames and snapped a five-game skid to the Red Wings with three third-period goals, including Dustin Byfuglien's penalty shot with 28 seconds left, in a 4-2 victory.

The win was the Blackhawks' fifth in six April games, with their only blemish a 4-3 shootout loss to Columbus on March 8.

"That's what we wanted - to go into the playoffs on a high note," Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith said.

Pick: Chicago



New York Rangers at Philedelphia Flyers (N/A)

The Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers know who they'll be playing in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, and the Rangers know they'll be hitting the road to open the postseason.

The Flyers can make sure they won't have to say the same.

Philadelphia can clinch the East's No. 4 seed and home ice in the first round of the playoffs with a point Sunday afternoon against the visiting Rangers in the regular-season finale for both teams.

The Flyers (44-26-11) came into Saturday tied with Carolina and Pittsburgh for fourth in the East, and coach John Stevens' team jumped ahead with a 3-2 victory that afternoon against the New York Islanders.

The Hurricanes lost to New Jersey in their finale, while the Penguins beat Montreal later Saturday night to ensure Pittsburgh and Philadelphia will meet in a rematch of last season's Eastern Conference final.

Where that series will begin, however, is still undecided. The Penguins' regular season is over, meaning the Flyers can earn home ice by picking up one point against the Rangers (42-30-9).

"I've said all along that as long as we take care of ourselves it doesn't matter what happens outside of us," Stevens said.

"I have seen the focus get a lot better this week. Even in practice, the guys seemed more relaxed and focused, and that's a sign that the playoffs are getting close.''

New York has nothing tangible to play for Sunday, as the Canadiens' loss to the Penguins on Saturday locked the Rangers into the No. 7 seed and a first-round matchup with Southeast Division champion Washington.

Pick: Phildelphia

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[pm530]

NBA
Dunkel Index

Memphis at LA Lakers
The Grizzlies have won seven straight ATS and face a Lakers team that is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 home games against teams with a losing road record. Memphis is the underdog pick (+12 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Lakers favored by only 10. Dunkel Pick: Memphis (+12 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, APRIL 12

Game 701-702: Dallas at New Orleans
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 117.494; New Orleans 118.702
Dunkel Line & Total: New Orleans by 1; 191 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: New Orleans by 3; 193
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (+3); Under

Game 703-704: Boston at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 122.286; Cleveland 127.278
Dunkel Line & Total: Cleveland by 5; 173 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Cleveland by 6 1/2; 185 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (+6 1/2); Under

Game 705-706: New York at Miami
Dunkel Ratings: New York 113.540; Miami 121.742
Dunkel Line & Total: Miami by 8; 210 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Miami by 6 1/2; 211 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Miami (-6 1/2); Under

Game 707-708: Philadelphia at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 115.854; Toronto 119.558
Dunkel Line & Total: Toronto by 3 1/2; 208
Vegas Line & Total: Pick; 205 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto; Over

Game 709-710: San Antonio at Sacramento
Dunkel Ratings: San Antonio 119.116; Sacramento 109.110
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 10; 216
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 10 1/2; 205 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Sacramento (+10 1/2); Over

Game 711-712: Memphis at LA Lakers
Dunkel Ratings: Memphis 115.843; LA Lakers 125.966
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Lakers by 10; 196 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: LA Lakers by 12 1/2; 200
Dunkel Pick: Memphis (+12 1/2); Under

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[pm530]

MLB
Dunkel Index

Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee
The Cubs come in just 1-4 in Ryan Dempster's last 5 starts as a favorite and face a Milwaukee team that is 6-2 in Jeff Suppan's last 8 home starts against teams with a winning record. The Brewers are the underdog pick (+135) according to Dunkel, which has Milwaukee favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (+135). Here are all of today's games

SUNDAY, APRIL 12

Game 901-902: NY Mets at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Santana) 14.419; Florida (Johnson) 16.018
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-130); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+120); Under

Game 903-904: Pittsburgh at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Snell) 14.623; Cincinnati (Harang) 15.052
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-150); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-150); Under

Game 905-906: Washington at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Olsen) 13.525; Atlanta (Jurrjens) 16.356
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 3; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-210); 9
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-210); Under

Game 907-908: Houston at St. Louis
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Rodriguez) 15.094; St. Louis (Lohse) 14.836
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-140); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+130); Over

Game 909-910: Philadelphia at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Park) 14.959; Colorado (Cook) 16.486
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1 1/2; 11 1/2
Vegas Line: Colorado (-145); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-145); Over

Game 911-912: San Francisco at San Diego
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Lincecum) 15.440; San Diego (Young) 13.970
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-120); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-120); Under

Game 913-914: LA Dodgers at Arizona
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Wolf) 13.651; Arizona (Haren) 14.509
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Arizona (-155); 9
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-155); Under

Game 915-916: Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Dempster) 14.739; Milwaukee (Suppan) 15.517
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-145); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (+135); Over

Game 917-918: Texas at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Millwood) 14.603; Detroit (Jackson) 16.297
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-125); 10
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-125); Under

Game 919-920: Toronto at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Purcey) 15.080; Cleveland (Reyes) 15.229
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1/2; 11 1/2
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-140); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-140); Over

Game 921-922: Tampa Bay at Baltimore
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Shields) 16.093; Baltimore (Eaton) 15.024
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-155); 9
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-155); Under

Game 923-924: Minnesota at Chicago White Sox
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Blackburn) 16.503; White Sox (Buehrle) 15.491
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: White Sox (-140); 9
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+130); Over

Game 925-926: NY Yankees at Kansas City
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Chamberlain) 16.144; Kansas City (Meche) 16.398
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-150); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+140); Under

Game 927-928: Boston at LA Angels
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Beckett) 14.827; LA Angels (Moseley) 15.828
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Boston (-165); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (+155); Under

Game 929-930: Seattle at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Bedard) 15.127; Oakland (Cahill) 15.718
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Oakland (-110); 8
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-110); Under

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