Thursday Trends and Indexes 4/16 (NHL, MLB, Misc.)

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes

Thursday, April 16

Good Luck on day #106 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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

Daily Sports Roundup

Thursday, April 16

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The NHL playoffs continue, the NBA takes a little break, and ace pitchers hit the mound in New York, Chicago, and Minnesota.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The NBA takes a breather on Thursday and Friday, with the league's playoffs not scheduled to get underway until Saturday. Heading to the postseason in the East: Cleveland, Boston, Orlando, Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Detroit. Fighting it out in the West: the Lakers, Denver, San Antonio, Houston, Portland, New Orleans, Dallas, and Utah. The Lakers are the Vegas title favorites.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

Indians lefthander Cliff Lee will be looking for better results on Thursday afternoon when he climbs the hill in New York for the first game at new Yankee Stadium. Lee was pounded in each of his first two starts of the season against Toronto and Texas, going a combined 0-2 with a 9.90 ERA. Lee's opponent on Thursday will be fellow lefthander CC Sabathia, who was shaky in his first outing against the O's but bounced back to top Kansas City (zero runs in 7 2-3 innings).

There are just three other games on the AL schedule for Thursday, with the White Sox at Tampa Bay, the Angels at Seattle, and Toronto at Minnesota. Righthander Roy Halladay (2-0, 3.86 ERA) will take on lefthander Francisco Liriano (0-2, 6.94 ERA) in that contest, with Liriano looking to get his first victory.

Over in the National League the Cubs will send ace righthander Carlos Zambrano (1-0, 3.00 ERA) to the mound at home against Cardinals righthander Adam Wainwright (1-0, 1.74 ERA). As well, it'll be Florida at Atlanta, Houston at Pittsburgh, Philadelphia at Washington, San Francisco at the Dodgers, and also San Diego at the Mets, with Jake Peavy (1-1, 3.52 ERA) pitching for the Padres.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

Four of the NHL's opening-round playoff series got underway on Wednesday; the other four hit the ice on Thursday night. The Canadiens will be in Boston to take on the Bruins in the lone Eastern matchup on Thursday, while the West will offer up Columbus at Detroit, Calgary at Chicago, and then Anaheim at San Jose.

The Bruins have had trouble with the Habs in the playoffs in the past, but top-seeded Boston still opened as the -320 favorite to take care of Montreal in the seven-game series; in six meetings this season the Bruins managed to walk away with five wins over the Canadiens, with Montreal last winning October 15.

The only bigger favorite on the odds board are the Red Wings, who were set as huge -550 chalk on the opening series line against the Blue Jackets. Columbus will be making its first postseason appearance this spring, and they split the six-games season series with Detroit this year. As well, the Sharks opened at -275 to knock out the Ducks, and the Blackhawks were listed at -160 to bounce the Flames. San Jose was 4-2 vs. Anaheim this year; Chicago was 4-0 vs. Calgary.

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

[pm530]

Six-pack for Thursday

Minor league baseball is more about player development that how many games you win, but here are worst six farm systems from a year ago, in terms of win/loss percentage of their farm teams.....

30) Houston Astros, 278-462

29) Arizona Diamondbacks, 310-417

28) Pittsburgh Pirates, 298-395

27) Kansas City Royals, 360-455

26) Detroit Tigers, 342-422

25) New York Mets, 359-434

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

Late Night Update

-- Ian Kinsler went 6-6, hit for cycle; Marlon Byrd went 5-6 as the Texas Rangers crushed Baltimore 19-6.

-- Florida Marlins moved to 7-1 with a 10-4 win in Atlanta.

-- Clayton Kershaw allowed one hit, struck out 13 in seven IP, but as soon as he left the game, the Giants lit up LA's bullpen for three runs-- Dodgers won the game 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth.

-- Seattle Mariners continued their hot play, whacking Angels 11-3 at Safeco. Mariners are 7-2 so far this season. Ichiro Suzuki hit a grand slam to break the game open in the seventh inning.

-- New York Rangers were only one of four road teams to win on the first night of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

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

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

13) It isn't politically correct to say so, but baseball overdoes it with all these Jackie Robinson tributes; first, they permanently retire the number 42, but on April 15, everyone wears it. Its great to honor him and all, but this is more about getting African-American demographic more involved with baseball than it is about honoring Robinson.

12) As the late George Young used to say, ".....whenever you don't think its about the money, its always about the money."

11) Why some teams never win; in 2000, the Saints decided to take a QB early in the 6th round- they took West Virginia's Marc Bulger. 31 picks later, the Patriots took a signal-caller named Brady. Whoops.

10) Only 14 of 32 starting QBs in the NFL are with the franchise that drafted them. Kurt Warner wasn't even drafted. Go figure.

9) 49ers are mending fences, will bring Matthew Stafford in Monday for a meeting with team officials, after they questioned his ability to be a franchise QB because of an earlier interview with team officials.

8) Steelers ranked #1 in NFL merchandise sales for fiscal year ending March 31-- still find it odd that they have six 1:00 Sunday home tilts this coming season. You'd think they'd get a lot of 4:15 starts.

7) Looks like Jon Gruden has found a home on NFL Network, where he will work the NFL Draft; it doesn't help me, SINCE MY STUPID CABLE SYSTEM STILL DOESN'T HAVE NFL NETWORK!!!!!

OK, sorry about that.....

6) Eli Manning got called for jury duty in Jersey City last month; he went in, met with the judge but was excused. No truth to the rumor that the judge called in David Carr to replace Eli.

5) Weird story from college sports, where Duke's basketball player Greg Paulus, who was an outstanding high school QB in Syracuse, is considering playing college football for a year at Michigan. Paulus has one year of football eligibility remaining-- he ran an offense similar to Michigan's in high school, but that was four years ago, and New York isn't exactly a hotbed for high school football, so it has been open for debate exactly how good Paulus was in high school.

4) Funny how two subs on Minnesota Gophers "decided" to transfer just when the Gophers needed two scholarships for their incoming recruits. Its called running players off, and its an underreported and somewhat disappointing side of college sports. Scholarships are not 4-year deals, they're renewable 1-year agreements. If you don't play up to snuff, you suddenly become expendable, just like in real life.

3) Interesting to see if Isiah Thomas gets FIU on ESPN next winter-- Sun Belt only has four ESPN slots, one of which is their conference tournament final. Back when ESPN just started, the Sun Belt was one of the first leagues to let ESPN broadcast its games regularly- would be nice if ESPN showed a little loyalty, gave them more timeslots.

2) Why do kids who declare early for the NBA Draft hire agents? To keep their options open in case of injury, they shouldn't, but the lure of easy money has a very strong appeal, as Don Henley once sang. Agents front kids money, so they can live the good life sooner. Guy like Jonny Flynn should go work out without an agent, but once he signs an agent, he's locked into going pro.

1) Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched 6.1 innings in his first two starts; he allowed 19 baserunners, nine runs, and is now on DL with "fatigued arm". If I owned a major league ballclub, would be a cold day in hell before any of my pitchers threw in the World Baseball Classic.

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

[pm530]

NHL
Long Sheet


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

Thursday, April 16

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

MONTREAL (41-30-0-11, 93 pts.) at BOSTON (53-18-0-11, 117 pts.) - 4/16/2009, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 41-41 ATS (-16.8 Units) in all games this season.
MONTREAL is 20-26 ATS (-13.2 Units) second half of the season this season.
MONTREAL is 10-14 ATS (-9.8 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
MONTREAL is 19-22 ATS (-11.7 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
BOSTON is 27-7 ATS (+27.0 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 18-11 (+3.2 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 18-11-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
14 of 25 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.2 Units)

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

COLUMBUS (41-31-0-10, 92 pts.) at DETROIT (51-21-0-10, 112 pts.) - 4/16/2009, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLUMBUS is 6-22 ATS (+42.3 Units) in road games vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 41-41 ATS (+86.2 Units) in all games this season.
COLUMBUS is 15-9 ATS (+25.8 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game this season.
COLUMBUS is 23-17 ATS (+46.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
COLUMBUS is 21-17 ATS (+48.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 9-13 (+3.7 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 13-9-0 straight up against COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
13 of 20 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+5.5 Units)

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

CALGARY (46-30-0-6, 98 pts.) at CHICAGO (46-25-0-11, 103 pts.) - 4/16/2009, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 11-4 ATS (+5.9 Units) in April games over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 35-20 ATS (+56.5 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 24-16 ATS (+41.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 8-4 (+6.7 Units) against the spread versus CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 8-4-0 straight up against CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.0 Units)

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

ANAHEIM (42-33-0-7, 91 pts.) at SAN JOSE (53-18-0-11, 117 pts.) - 4/16/2009, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ANAHEIM is 9-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) after a division game this season.
SAN JOSE is 78-50 ATS (-5.0 Units) in April games since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 20-13 ATS (+34.6 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 this season.
ANAHEIM is 151-143 ATS (+309.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 25-20 ATS (-17.7 Units) second half of the season this season.
SAN JOSE is 24-23 ATS (-22.2 Units) in home games vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 31-29 ATS (-20.5 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 12-10 (+1.5 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 12-10-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
14 of 20 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+6.5 Units)

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

[pm530]

NHL
Short Sheet


Thursday, April 16

Eastern Conference Playoffs - 1st Round
Game One
Series Tied, 0-0
Montreal at Boston, 7:05 ET

Montreal:
8-15 SU playing with revenge for road loss
2-9 SU Away after allowing 2+ goals 3rd period last game

Boston:
27-7 SU off win by 2+ goals
15-4 SU after scoring 6+ goals

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

Western Conference Playoffs - 1st Round
Game One
Series Tied, 0-0
Columbus at Detroit, 7:05 ET

Columbus:
6-22 SU Away vs. division
5-31 SU Away if 8+ goals were scored last game

Detroit:
22-3 SU at home off BB division games
18-2 SU off division loss by 3+ goals

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

Western Conference Playoffs - 1st Round
Game One
Series Tied, 0-0
Calgary at Chicago, 8:35 ET

Calgary:
10-2 Over playing with double revenge
4-8 SU vs. Chicago

Chicago:
17-5 SU off BB division games
23-11 SU off home win by 2+ goals

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

Western Conference Playoffs - 1st Round
Game One
Series Tied, 0-0
Anaheim at San Jose, 10:35 ET

Anaheim:
18-11 SU Away playing with same season revenge
7-4 SU at San Jose

San Jose:
5-10 SU off 1 goal division loss
16-7 Under vs. division

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

[pm530]

NHL
Write-up


Thursday, April 16

NHL Playoffs

Boston has storied history of losing to Montreal in playoffs, but they're 7-2 in last nine games vs Montreal, winning last five, with two overtime wins. Habs lost last four visits to Boston, outscored 19-10. Bruins won eight of last ten games, with last three going over total. Montreal lost last four games, outscored 14-8, with three of four staying under total.

Columbus lost six of last eight games, but is in playoffs for the first time Blue Jackets won three of last four games vs Detroit-- seven of last nine series tilts stayed under the total. Red Wings lost three in row, six of last eight games, scoring only five goals in last three games. Four of last five Detroit home games went over the total.

Chicago was 4-0 against Calgary this season, winning last two games by 5-2 scores; four of last five series games went over the total. Teams split last eight series games in this building. Blackhawks won six of last seven games; under is 8-2-1 in their last eleven. Flames were just 4-6 in last ten games; under was 10-2-1 in their last 13 games.

San Jose won six of last eight games against Anaheim; under is 6-1-1 in last eight series games. Sharks went 2-3 in last five games, but still won Presidents' Cup-- four of their last five home games stayed under total. Ducks won 10 of their last 13 games, with five of the last six going over the total. Lot of pressure on top-seeded teams in first round.

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

[pm530]

NHL
Trend Sheet


Thursday, April 16

7:00 PM
COLUMBUS vs. DETROIT
Columbus is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Columbus's last 5 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
Detroit is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Columbus

7:00 PM
MONTREAL vs. BOSTON
Montreal is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Montreal's last 9 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

8:30 PM
CALGARY vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Calgary's last 7 games
Calgary is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 7 games when playing at home against Calgary
Chicago is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Calgary

10:30 PM
ANAHEIM vs. SAN JOSE
Anaheim is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Anaheim's last 6 games
San Jose is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Anaheim
San Jose is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Anaheim

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

[pm530]

NHL


Thursday, April 16

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ice Picks: NHL best bets
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Calgary Flames at Chicago Blackhawks (-160, 5.5)

The Blackhawks swept the Flames in four meetings during the regular season, winning by a combined 19-7 score. But the teams haven't played since early February, perhaps making that head-to-head a little less telling.

"Not to say we don't respect them. We respect their ability, yes," Keenan said. "At the same time the teams have changed and the circumstances have changed."

The Flames added center Olli Jokinen and defenseman Jordan Leopold since the teams last met. And Calgary, which flamed out down the stretch and lost a chance to win the Northwest Division title by finishing 7-11, will be healthier with the return of left wing Rene Bourqe and All-Star defenseman Dion Phaneuf from injuries.

The less experienced Blackhawks, by contrast, closed with a rush, going 6-0-1 in their final seven games of a turnaround season that featured the scoring of Martin Havlat and 20-year-old captain Jonathan Toews and the solid goaltending of veteran Nikolai Khabibulin. Khabibulin has a career 22-5-2 regular-season record against the Flames and also was in goal when Tampa Bay beat Calgary to win the Stanley Cup in 2004.

Calgary goalie Miikka Kiprusoff won 45 games this season and had a 2.84 GAA. His matchup with Khabibulin will be a key in the series, as will Chicago's ability to contain Flames star Jarome Iginla, who had 89 points.

"He's one of those guys who is hard to defend in all situations every second he's on the ice,'' Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said Wednesday after practice.

Pick: Calgary +140



Anaheim Ducks at San Jose Sharks (-220, 5.5)

The Sharks and Ducks calmly detest each other in the way only neighbors can. Several years of cheap shots and contentious regular-season games peaked last month when Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov and Ducks star Corey Perry accused each other of dirty play, leading to three brutal late-season games and ending with an after-the-buzzer scrum featuring 64 penalty minutes in Anaheim.

Hockey players don't usually talk about that sort of motivation, but it should become obvious in Game 1 - particularly if both teams dress their respective enforcers, San Jose's Jody Shelley and Anaheim's George Parros.

"Anyone you're going to play in the playoffs, you're going to have bad blood against,'' Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf said. ''It's not a certain team, it's just the mentality of the whole situation. Everyone is fighting for their lives now.''

Not much is similar about the Sharks and Ducks except their driver's licenses. The franchises have dissimilar styles of play, and they're built and coached by people with divergent views about how hockey should be played.

Although the Sharks say they've sharpened their toughness this season under new coach Todd McLellan on the way to the Presidents' Trophy with 117 points, they're still at their best when showing off their speed and offensive skill, from Thornton's passing to Patrick Marleau's finishing skills.

"They were the best team in the league this year,'' Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller said. ''They have a great offense, and they play well on defense. They are a great team, but I think we proved we could play with them. They were always tight games and we won some of them. So I think we have a chance.''

And while the Ducks have one of the NHL's most sublimely talented scoring lines with Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan, they still identify themselves as a lunch-pail team stocked with hard workers and role players surrounding that top line and defensemen Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer.

Pick: Under 5.5

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

[pm530]

MLB
Write-up


Thursday, April 16

Hot Pitchers
-- Kawakami won his first big league start, allowing four hits in six IP in a 5-3 win over Washington. Sanchez has 3.06 RA in his last three starts.
-- Wainwright is 1-0, 1.74 in two starts this season.

-- Danks is 2-0, 1.31 in his last three starts.
-- Halladay is 2-0, 3.86 in two starts this season.
-- Saunders is 1-1, 2.63 in two starts this season.

Cold Pitchers
-- Russ Ortiz has made 253 career starts, but this is his first since 2007, when he started eight games for the Giants (2-3, 5.51). Karstens is 0-6, 7.93 in his last seven starts.
-- Marshall was 1-4, 4.05 in seven starts LY.
-- Blanton was 1-0, 7.20 in three starts vs Washington LY. Martis has a 6.75 RA in five big league starts.
-- Maine is 2-3, 5.19 in his last ten starts. Peavy is 2-2, 4.82 in his last four outings.
-- Stults is 2-3, 3.79 in his last seven starts. Zito is 1-1, 5.18 in his last four starts.

-- Lee is 0-2, 9.90 in two starts this season. Sabathia is 1-1, 4.50 in his two starts this season.
-- Niemann allowed six runs in 5.1 IP in his first big league start.
-- Liriano is 0-2, 6.94 so far this season.
-- Hernandez had a 5.40 RA in four starts against the Angels LY.

Hot Teams
-- Marlins won seven of their first eight games.
-- Pirates are 3-0 in game following a loss.
-- Cubs won four of their last six games. Cardinals won six of their last seven games.
-- Phillies won last three games, scoring 24 runs.
-- Padres won five of their last six games.
-- Dodgers won last four games by combined total of 30-8.

-- Bronx won five of its last seven games.
-- White Sox won three of their last four games.
-- Seattle won six in row, seven of first nine games.
-- Blue Jays won seven of their first ten games; they've won 11 of their last 12 games against Minnesota. .

Cold Teams
-- Braves lost last two games, outscored 15-5.
-- Astros lost five of their last six games.
-- Nationals are only winless team in majors (0-7).
-- Mets lost four of their last six games.
-- Giants lost last five games, outscored 35-12. .

-- Indians lost seven of their first nine games.
-- Rays lost four of their last six games.
-- Twins lost four of their last five games.
-- Angels lost five of their last seven games.

Totals
-- Over is 5-3 in Florida games this season.
-- Six of eight Houston games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 6-4 in St Louis games, 2-1 on the road.
-- All four Philly road games went over the total.
-- Four of last five San Diego games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Dodger games went over the total.

-- Seven of nine Cleveland games went over the total.
-- Six of first eight White Sox games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Toronto games went over the total.
-- Over is 4-1-2 in Angels' last seven games.

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

[pm530]

MLB


Thursday, April 16

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hot lines: Today’s best MLB bets
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees (-191, 9)

A pitching matchup for the ages was supposed to set the tone for the official opening of the New York Yankees’ new stadium Thursday.

Cleveland ace and reigning American League Cy Young winner Cliff Lee takes on the Yankees’ $161-million man, C.C. Sabathia. While Sabathia appears up to the challenge of his former teammate, Lee is far from his 2008 form to start the season.

Lee is 0-2 with a hulking ERA just under 10. The lefty is struggling with his fastball, throwing the pitch only 57 percent of the time. He is relying on his off-speed stuff more than last season and has been lit up by big-swinging lineups in Toronto and Texas.

"I think teams come out gunning for you a little bit [the year after a Cy Young]," Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay told reporters after out-dueling Lee Saturday. "But more than anything, it's just getting that good feeling that you had the year before. Sometimes you get that early on in a season and it carries out through the rest of the year. You're always trying to get that feeling back."

Lee faces another loaded lineup in the Bronx. The Yankees offense is picking up steam and is averaging almost six runs to start the schedule. He pitched a gem in his most recent start versus New York. Lee went seven scoreless innings in a 3-0 win last May.

However, this year’s version of the Tribe is giving up an MLB-worst 8.46 earned runs per game and has played over the total in six of their first eight games.

Pick: Over 9



San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers (-158, 8)

Giants pitcher Barry Zito is a notorious slow starter.

Over the past three seasons, the left-handed hurler is 3-10 is his past 15 April starts with a 5.58 ERA. He followed suit in his first appearance of 2009, giving up four runs on seven hits in just four innings of work in a rain-soaked 7-3 loss to San Diego Friday.

"I was fired up a little bit and wanted to come out and get that first inning going,” Zito told reporters after the game. "It's frustrating because I felt great tonight. I felt good in the pen. I've come a long way from last year and battled hard tonight. But I'm optimistic that I'll be back out there next Thursday being in control of myself.”

Zito split his four starts against the rival Dodgers last season, posting a 4.38 ERA in those games. Los Angeles hung 11 runs on the Giants in the series opener Wednesday. After starting the season cold, the Dodgers lineup has sprung into action, totaling 25 runs in the past three games heading into Wednesday.

It’s the same old story in San Francisco with the bats providing poor run support. The Giants have scored a combined eight runs in their past four games – all of which were losses. As of Wednesday, they are hitting just .250 BA and have a fewest amount of home runs (3) in the majors.

Pick: Los Angeles -158

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

[pm530]

MLB


Thursday, April 16

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

12:10 PM
FLORIDA vs. ATLANTA
Florida is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Florida is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Atlanta is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Florida

12:35 PM
HOUSTON vs. PITTSBURGH
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Houston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Pittsburgh is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Houston
Pittsburgh is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Houston

1:05 PM
CLEVELAND vs. NY YANKEES
Cleveland is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Cleveland is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 5 games when playing Cleveland
NY Yankees are 19-6 SU in their last 25 games when playing at home against Cleveland

2:20 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. CHI CUBS
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of St. Louis's last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs
Chi Cubs are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games
Chi Cubs are 5-10 SU in their last 15 games at home

7:05 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. WASHINGTON
Philadelphia is 7-2-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Washington
Philadelphia is 18-6-1 SU in its last 25 games
Washington is 1-7-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
Washington is 0-4-1 SU in its last 5 games

7:08 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. TAMPA BAY
Chi White Sox are 1-6 SU in their last 7 games on the road
Chi White Sox are 2-8 SU in their last 10 games when playing Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Tampa Bay's last 8 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox

7:10 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. NY METS
San Diego is 8-2-1 SU in its last 11 games when playing NY Mets
San Diego is 4-9-1 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
NY Mets are 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
NY Mets are 1-4-1 SU in its last 6 games

8:10 PM
TORONTO vs. MINNESOTA
Toronto is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games when playing Minnesota
Toronto is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Minnesota is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Toronto

10:10 PM
LA ANGELS vs. SEATTLE
LA Angels are 7-2-1 SU in their last 10 games when playing on the road against Seattle
LA Angels are 8-3-1 SU in their last 12 games on the road
Seattle is 2-7-1 SU in their last 10 games when playing LA Angels
Seattle is 2-7-1 SU in their last 10 games when playing at home against LA Angels

10:10 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. LA DODGERS
San Francisco is 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
San Francisco is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
LA Dodgers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
LA Dodgers are 14-5 SU in their last 19 games at home

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

[pm530]

MLB
Baseball Today


SCOREBOARD

Thursday, April 16

Philadelphia at Washington (7:05 p.m. EDT). The World Series champions visit the Nationals (0-7), the majors’ only winless team.

STARS

Wednesday

— Ian Kinsler, Rangers, became the fourth player in team history to hit for the cycle, and was 6-for-6 in Texas’ 19-6 win over Baltimore.

— Ken Griffey Jr., Mariners, hit his 613th career home run and 400th with Seattle in a 11-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

— Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners, tied the record for most career hits by a Japanese player with his first grand slam in six years, his second hit of his season debut following his first career trip to the disabled list.

— Tim Wakefield, Red Sox, took a no-hitter into the eighth inning before finishing with a four-hitter in Boston’s 8-2 victory over Oakland.

— Andres Galarraga, Tigers, threw 6 1-3 scoreless innings to lead Detroit past the White Sox 9-0, ending Chicago’s three-game winning streak.

— Ryan Ludwick, Cardinals, homered and drove in three runs to help St. Louis beat Arizona 12-7.

— Mike Cameron, Brewers, hit a pair of home runs to spoil the pitching debut of Micah Owings and help Milwaukee beat Cincinnati 9-3.

HONORING A LEGEND

As part of baseball’s annual tribute to Jackie Robinson, several players wore special Nike cleats that featured an image of Robinson sliding into home plate as well as his No. 42 stitched on each heel. Ken Griffey Jr., Jimmy Rollins, Torii Hunter, Carl Crawford and David Wright were among the stars set to wear the unique shoes.

STRONG START

The Marlins are a major league-best 7-1—all against NL East opponents— for their best start since opening 8-1 in 1997, when they won the first of their two World Series titles.

TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM

James Loney drew his second bases-loaded walk of the game with one out in the ninth to lift the Dodgers over the Giants. He also walked with the bags juiced in the first inning.

STELLAR COMPANY

Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw became the youngest Dodgers pitcher to strike out 13 or more batters in a game since Sandy Koufax did it on Aug. 27, 1955 at age 19.

SCORING FINALLY

Houston snapped an 18-inning scoreless streak with two runs in the first against Pittsburgh en route to a 4-1 victory. The Astros began the game with a major-league worst 16 runs scored this season.

SIDELINED

Mike Pelfrey has tendinitis in his pitching forearm that could cause the New York Mets right-hander to miss his next scheduled start. After struggling through his first two outings this season, Pelfrey had an MRI exam Tuesday. … Atlanta 3B Chipper Jones expects to miss at least two games after aggravating his bruised left thumb for the second time in a week. Jones jammed the thumb in his last at-bat in the Braves’ 5-1 loss to Florida on Tuesday night. … Boston right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka went on the 15-day disabled list with a mild right shoulder strain after his second straight poor start to open the season.

WELCOME HOME

Mets ace Johan Santana and his wife, Yasmile Garcia, had their third child on Tuesday, Johan Jr. The pitcher left the team this week to join his wife in Florida for the birth.

ROAD TO REPAIR

Boston pitcher John Smoltz is headed to Florida in another step in his recovery from surgery to his right shoulder. The 41-year-old right-hander is expected to throw to live hitters for the first time Saturday in Fort Myers. He hopes to be back with the Red Sox by early June.

CYCLING

Orlando Hudson, who on Monday joined Wes Parker (1970) as the only L.A. Dodgers to hit for the cycle, smiled broadly while presenting his 4-year-old son Orlando and 7-year-old daughter Kamari with bicycles at home plate before the game. They were gifts from his new club.

SPEAKING

“I feel encouraged. It’s not a huge leap, but it’s a step forward. I think we have to feel encouraged, not only feel encouraged but feel inspired by progress so that we can not only sustain what we have, but work harder to see that we get that number up in future reports.”—Rachel Robinson, the widow of Jackie Robinson after hearing that black players accounted for 10.2 percent of major leaguers last year, the most since the 1995 season.

SEASONS

April 16

1929—Cleveland’s Earl Averill became the first American League player to hit a home run in his first major league plate appearance. The Indians won the game 5-4 in 11 innings on Carl Lind’s double.

1935—Babe Ruth, 40, made a sensational National League debut in Boston. His single and homer off Carl Hubbell led the Braves over the Giants 4-2.

1940—Bob Feller of Cleveland defeated the Chicago White Sox 1-0 in the only opening day no-hitter in major league history.

1948—WGN-TV televised a baseball game for the first time. It was an exhibition game at Wrigley Field with Jack Brickhouse doing the play-by-play. The White Sox defeated the Cubs 4-1.

1972—Burt Hooton of the Cubs no-hit the Philadelphia Phillies 4-0 at Wrigley Field.

1978—Bob Forsch of the St. Louis Cardinals no-hit the Philadelphia Phillies 5-0. Less than a year later, Bob’s brother Ken of the Houston Astros pitched a no-hitter against Atlanta. They are the only brothers to throw no-hitters.

1984—Dave Kingman of the Oakland A’s hit three home runs, including a grand slam, in his first three at-bats. In total, he drove in eight runs in a 9-6 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

1997—The Chicago Cubs set the mark for worst start in National League history, making three more errors as they extended their losing streak to 12 with a 4-0 loss to the Colorado Rockies. Chicago broke the modern NL record of 0-10 set by Atlanta in 1988 and the overall NL record of 0-11 by the 1884 Detroit Wolverines.

2002—Lance Berkman homered in his first three at-bats and drove in five runs in Houston’s 8-3 victory over Cincinnati.

2005—Toronto’s Reed Johnson was hit by a major league record-tying three pitches—two with the bases loaded—in the Blue Jays’ 8-0 victory over Texas.

2006—Albert Pujols hit three home runs, including a two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth, to give St. Louis an 8-7 win over Cincinnati.

2007—The Cleveland Indians became the first team in nearly 55 years to win a game with their only hit coming in their first at-bat. Grady Sizemore led off Cleveland’s 2-1 win over the Chicago White Sox with a double.

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

[pm530]

MLB
Dunkel Index

Houston at Pittsburgh
The Astros look to take advantage of a Pittsburgh team that is 0-7 in Jeff Karsten's last 7 starts. Houston is the underdog pick (+140) according to Dunkel, which has the Astros favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Houston (+140). Here are all of today's games

THURSDAY, APRIL 16

Game 901-902: Florida at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Sanchez) 15.560; Atlanta (Kawakami) 16.018
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-145); 9
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-145); Under

Game 903-904: Houston at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Ortiz) 15.394; Pittsburgh (Karstens) 13.653
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-150); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+140); Over

Game 905-906: St. Louis at Chicago Cubs
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Wainwright) 14.778; Cubs (Marshall) 16.317
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-115); No Total
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (-115); N/A

Game 907-908: Philadelphia at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Blanton) 14.447; Washington (Martis) 14.668
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-135); 10
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+125); Under

Game 909-910: San Diego at NY Mets
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Peavy) 14.776; NY Mets (Maine) 15.853
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 8
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-135); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-135); Over

Game 911-912: San Francisco at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Zito) 14.489; LA Dodgers (Stults) 14.070
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-155); 8
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+145); Under

Game 913-914: Cleveland at NY Yankees
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Lee) 15.991; NY Yankees (Sabathia) 15.884
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-190); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+180); Over

Game 915-916: Chicago White Sox at Tampa Bay
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Danks) 15.833; Tampa Bay (Niemann) 16.842
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-115); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+105); Under

Game 917-918: Toronto at Minnesota
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Halladay) 14.749; Minnesota (Liriano) 15.385
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Toronto (-140); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+130); Under

Game 919-920: LA Angels at Seattle
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Saunders) 15.558; Seattle (Jakubauskas) 15.456
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

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

[pm530]

NHL
Dunkel Index

Anaheim at San Jose
The Ducks come in 6-1 in their last 7 road games and face a San Jose team that was just 2-5 in their last 7 against teams with a winning record. Anaheim is the underdog pick (+190) according to Dunkel, which has the Ducks favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Anaheim (+190). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, APRIL 16

Game 59-60: Montreal at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 11.190; Boston 12.942
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Boston (-230); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-230); Under

Game 61-62: Columbus at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Columbus 12.020; Detroit 10.859
Dunkel Line & Total: Columbus by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit (-240); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Columbus (+200); Under

Game 63-64: Calgary at Chicago
Dunkel Ratings: Calgary 11.013; Chicago 12.972
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago (-155); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-155); Over

Game 65-66: Anaheim at San Jose
Dunkel Ratings: Anaheim 11.523; San Jose 10.360
Dunkel Line & Total: Anaheim by 1; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-230); 5
Dunkel Pick: Anaheim (+190); Under

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

[pm530]

MLB
Long Sheet


Thursday, April 16

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

FLORIDA (7 - 1) at ATLANTA (5 - 3) - 7:10 PM
ANIBAL SANCHEZ (R) vs. KENSHIN KAWAKAMI (R)
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 42-36 (+18.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 91-78 (+26.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 60-37 (+31.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 41-41 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 25-13 (+21.1 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 22-12 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 47-32 (+24.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 90-76 (+27.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 64-59 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 65-57 (+15.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 77-93 (-23.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 76-91 (-22.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 113-121 (-26.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 2-0 (+3.2 Units) against ATLANTA this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

ANIBAL SANCHEZ vs. ATLANTA since 1997
SANCHEZ is 1-2 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 5.09 and a WHIP of 1.522.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.4 units)

KENSHIN KAWAKAMI vs. FLORIDA since 1997
No recent starts.

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

HOUSTON (2 - 6) at PITTSBURGH (4 - 4) - 12:35 PM
RUSS ORTIZ (R) vs. JEFF KARSTENS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 49-37 (+18.1 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 88-81 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 86-80 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 1-1 (+0.0 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

RUSS ORTIZ vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
ORTIZ is 8-1 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 3.28 and a WHIP of 1.556.
His team's record is 10-3 (+6.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-8. (-3.7 units)

JEFF KARSTENS vs. HOUSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

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

ST LOUIS (7 - 3) at CHICAGO CUBS (5 - 3) - 2:20 PM
ADAM WAINWRIGHT (R) vs. SEAN MARSHALL (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 14-4 (+9.5 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 93-79 (+12.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 93-79 (+12.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WAINWRIGHT is 35-19 (+13.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WAINWRIGHT is 35-19 (+13.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WAINWRIGHT is 13-0 (+13.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHICAGO CUBS are 514-471 (-111.7 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 377-347 (-76.4 Units) against the money line in home games in day games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 905-928 (-162.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 377-346 (-74.2 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 962-1012 (-185.2 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
MARSHALL is 4-17 (-15.7 Units) against the money line in day games since 1997. (Team's Record)

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

ADAM WAINWRIGHT vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
WAINWRIGHT is 1-3 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 6.55 and a WHIP of 1.637.
His team's record is 3-3 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.2 units)

SEAN MARSHALL vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
MARSHALL is 2-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 4.07 and a WHIP of 1.439.
His team's record is 4-1 (+4.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.2 units)

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

PHILADELPHIA (4 - 3) at WASHINGTON (0 - 7) - 7:05 PM
JOE BLANTON (R) vs. SHAIRON MARTIS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 45-28 (+17.2 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 33-75 (-33.0 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 14-37 (-19.7 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 24-57 (-25.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 59-109 (-31.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 59-106 (-28.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 40-77 (-25.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

JOE BLANTON vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
BLANTON is 1-1 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 5.57 and a WHIP of 1.619.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+0.8 units)

SHAIRON MARTIS vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
No recent starts.

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

SAN DIEGO (6 - 3) at NY METS (4 - 4) - 7:10 PM
JAKE PEAVY (R) vs. JOHN MAINE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 69-101 (-31.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 69-101 (-31.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 47-75 (-27.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 20-7 (+12.3 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN DIEGO is 1-1 (+1.0 Units) against NY METS this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

JAKE PEAVY vs. NY METS since 1997
PEAVY is 4-2 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 3.32 and a WHIP of 1.246.
His team's record is 5-4 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-4. (+0.7 units)

JOHN MAINE vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
MAINE is 0-0 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 1.628.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-2. (-2.3 units)

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

SAN FRANCISCO (2 - 6) at LA DODGERS (6 - 3) - 10:10 PM
BARRY ZITO (L) vs. ERIC STULTS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ZITO is 16-28 (-20.2 Units) against the money line in April games since 1997. (Team's Record)
SAN FRANCISCO is 659-559 (+75.6 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.1 Units)

BARRY ZITO vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
ZITO is 5-4 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 4.27 and a WHIP of 1.194.
His team's record is 5-5 (-0.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-6. (-3.3 units)

ERIC STULTS vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
STULTS is 0-1 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 6.23 and a WHIP of 2.154.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+0.9 units)

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

CLEVELAND (2 - 7) at NY YANKEES (5 - 4) - 1:05 PM
CLIFF LEE (L) vs. C.C. SABATHIA (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 23-34 (-15.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 14-22 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 20-32 (-17.1 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
LEE is 24-9 (+13.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LEE is 50-33 (+20.4 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
LEE is 22-11 (+14.3 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
LEE is 17-5 (+13.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday since 1997. (Team's Record)
LEE is 42-25 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)

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

CLIFF LEE vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
LEE is 3-3 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 5.62 and a WHIP of 1.475.
His team's record is 3-4 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-4. (-1.1 units)

C.C. SABATHIA vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
No recent starts.

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

CHI WHITE SOX (4 - 4) at TAMPA BAY (4 - 5) - 7:08 PM
JOHN DANKS (L) vs. JEFF NIEMANN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 4-18 (-14.0 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 63-29 (+27.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 63-30 (+26.1 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 67-35 (+25.4 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 109-78 (+27.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 54-36 (+22.1 Units) against the money line after getting shut out since 1997.
CHI WHITE SOX are 52-29 (+19.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

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

JOHN DANKS vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
DANKS is 4-1 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 3.19 and a WHIP of 1.194.
His team's record is 4-1 (+2.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-4. (-3.3 units)

JEFF NIEMANN vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
NIEMANN is 0-1 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 13.51 and a WHIP of 2.703.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.3 units)

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

TORONTO (7 - 3) at MINNESOTA (4 - 6) - 8:10 PM
ROY HALLADAY (R) vs. FRANCISCO LIRIANO (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 53-67 (-37.8 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -125 to -150 since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 23-10 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 26-10 (+15.4 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 56-32 (+16.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 58-34 (+16.5 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 65-52 (+11.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 56-32 (+16.0 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
HALLADAY is 103-45 (+36.7 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 2-1 (+1.6 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)

ROY HALLADAY vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
HALLADAY is 7-0 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 2.71 and a WHIP of 0.935.
His team's record is 8-1 (+7.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-4. (-0.4 units)

FRANCISCO LIRIANO vs. TORONTO since 1997
No recent starts.

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

LA ANGELS (3 - 5) at SEATTLE (7 - 2) - 10:10 PM
JOE SAUNDERS (L) vs. CHRIS JAKUBAUSKAS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 104-70 (+18.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 51-34 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 98-63 (+19.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 38-26 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 146-100 (+25.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 44-24 (+16.9 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 85-60 (+20.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
SAUNDERS is 25-9 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAUNDERS is 12-4 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAUNDERS is 24-8 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAUNDERS is 34-13 (+18.8 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
SAUNDERS is 18-5 (+12.3 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAUNDERS is 13-4 (+9.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SEATTLE is 68-103 (-31.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 28-45 (-20.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 61-94 (-30.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 43-71 (-26.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 2-0 (+2.3 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

JOE SAUNDERS vs. SEATTLE since 1997
SAUNDERS is 4-1 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 4.61 and a WHIP of 1.390.
His team's record is 5-2 (+2.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-2. (+2.0 units)

CHRIS JAKUBAUSKAS vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
No recent starts.

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