Friday Trends and Indexes 4/17 (MLB, NHL, Misc.)

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes

Friday, April 17

Good Luck on day #107 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

Friday, April 17

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Phillies turn to their ace for a victory, the Indians continue their New York set, and the NHL continues its first-round series.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

NBA action resumes on Saturday, with Game 1 of four of the league's first-round series: Detroit at Cleveland, Chicago at Boston, Dallas at San Antonio, and Houston at Portland. The other four series get underway on Sunday, with Philadelphia at Orlando, Miami at Atlanta, Utah at the Lakers, and New Orleans at Denver. Los Angeles is pegged as the 3/5 Vegas fave to win the title, with the Cavaliers at 8/5, the Celtics at 2/1, the Magic at 9/2, and the Trail Blazers at 8/1.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

Phillies ace Cole Hamels will try to get back on track on Friday night when his team plays host to the Padres. The lefthander was pounded in his first start of the season on April 10, surrendering seven earned runs on 11 hits in just 3 2-3 innings of work versus the Rockies. San Diego will send Chris Young out to the mound on Friday; the righthander is 2-0 with a tiny 1.38 ERA through two outings.

The Cards and Cubs play a matinee in Chicago Friday, while the Mets get a visit from the Brewers. Rounding out the National League slate: Atlanta at Pittsburgh, Florida at Washington, Cincinnati at Houston, Colorado at the Dodgers, and Arizona at San Francisco; Dan Haren (0-2, 2.08 ERA) will pitch for the D-Backs.

Cleveland and New York will continue their series in the new Yankee Stadium on Friday, with the Tribe's Anthony Reyes (1-0, 6.00 ERA) taking on the Bombers' Joba Chamberlain (0-0, 1.50 ERA). Elsewhere around the American League: Oakland at Toronto, Baltimore at Boston, the White Sox at Tampa Bay, Kansas City at Texas, the Angels at Minnesota, and Detroit at Seattle. Tigers starter Justin Verlander has given up nine earned runs over 8 2-3 innings this season.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

The National Hockey League offers up Game 2 of three first-round playoff series on Friday night, including Carolina at New Jersey. The Devils rolled to a 4-1 win over the Hurricanes in Game 1 on Wednesday, with Zach Parise providing a goal and an assist and Martin Brodeur stopping 18 of 19 Carolina shots. Ray Whitney had the lone Carolina marker in the third period, and Cam Ward made 35 saves.

The other Eastern matchup on Friday has Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, with the Penguins looking to a grab a 2-0 lead in the series. Pittsburgh picked up a 4-1 win in the opener on Wednesday, on goals by Sidney Crosby, Tyler Kennedy, Mark Eaton, and Evgeni Malkin. Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves for the Penguins in that matchup, while Martin Biron stopped 29 of 33 Pittsburgh shots.

Finally, it'll be St. Louis at Vancouver in the second game of their first-round Western series on Friday. The Canucks pulled out a 2-1 win at home in Game 1 on Wednesday night, with Roberto Luongo making 25 saves on the night. Daniel Sedin and Sami Salo had the Vancouver goals, while Brad Boyes made it close for the Blues in the second period. Chris Mason picked up 29 saves in the defeat.

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[pm530]

Six-pack for Friday

Odds on the first round NBA matchups........

Chicago Bulls
Boston Celtics -$500

Dallas Mavericks
San Antonio Spurs -$140

Detroit Pistons
Cleveland Cavaliers -$4000

Houston Rockets
Portland Trailblazers -$135

Philadelphia 76ers
Orlando Magic -$900

Utah Jazz
Los Angeles Lakers -$2500

Miami Heat
Atlanta Hawks -$135

New Orleans Hornets
Denver Nuggets -$240

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Late Night Update

-- If you're 49 years old, and you read about 50-year old Danny Ainge having a mild heart attack, its a little bit unsettling.

-- Nationals got their first win, 8-2 against the Phillies.

-- How does Citi Field cost $850M to build, while a new ballpark eight miles away costs $1.5B???? That billion, with a freakin' B....

-- NHL playoff update: Anaheim was only road team to win; in Chicago, Blackhawks scored 0:12 into OT, the third-fastest playoff overtime goal in NHL history. Home teams are 6-2 so far in the first round.

-- Am guessing Tuesday's death of 73-year old Harry Kalas played a role in Thursday's retirement of 73-year old John Madden.

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Friday's List of 13: Our first baseball List of 13.......

Its too early to be ranking teams, but we're doing this every Friday, so why not start today? Feel free to disagree-- you can't be on this list if you're under .500..........

13) White Sox 5-4-- Steve Stone is major upgrade in broadcast booth.

12) Royals 5-4-- Hurt by Alex Gordon going on DL Thursday.

11) Bronx 5-5-- When your own radio announcers are ripping relief pitchers in second week of the season, it could signal a problem.

10) Tigers 5-4-- Good recovery after pretty rough start.

9) Phillies 4-4-- Defending champs treading water so far.

8) Orioles 6-3-- Doubtful they have enough pitching for long haul.

7) Cubs 5-4-- Milton Bradley ejected from another game Thursday.

6) Padres 7-3-- Outstanding job in spring training by these coaches.

5) Cardinals 8-3-- Hurt by rib cage injury to potential ace Carpenter.

4) Mariners 7-3-- New leadership has made an early difference.

3) Dodgers 7-3-- Billingsley, Kershaw abused the Giants this week.

2) Toronto 8-3-- Could they be this year's version of the 2008 Rays?

1) Marlins 8-1-- Not sure why they're winning; it doesn't matter.

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[pm530]

MLB
Write-up


Friday, April 17

Hot Pitchers
-- Zambrano is 1-0, 3.00 in his first two '09 starts.
-- Jurrjens is 2-0, 3.27 in his first two starts. Pirates are 2-0 in Maholm starts this season (1-0, 1.98).
-- Young is 2-0, 2.07 in two starts this season.
-- Bush is 1-0, 3.80 in his last four starts.
-- Haren has 2.07 RA in two starts, but Arizona scored total of one run in the two games and lost both.

-- Reyes is 3-1, 2.45 in his last seven starts.
-- Guthrie is 2-0, 2.25 so far this season.
-- Colon tossed six shutout innings in his '09 debut for the White Sox; he is 5-2, 4.60 in his last eight starts. Rays are 16-5 in Shields' last 21 home starts.
-- Meche is 0-0, 3.21 in his first two '09 starts.
-- Mariners won both Hernandez starts, scoring 14 runs (1-0, 4.15).

Cold Pitchers
-- Walters is making big league debut here; he is 10-4 in 24 AAA starts.
-- Nolasco is 1-1, 7.36 in his first two '09 starts. Lannan is 0-2, 9.00 in his two starts this season.
-- Hamels gave up seven runs in 3.2 IP at Coors Field in his '09 debut.
-- LHernandez has 6.23 RA in his last six starts.
-- Oswalt is 0-2, 6.23 in his first two starts. Cueto is 1-5, 5.03 in his last eight starts.
-- de la Rosa has a 6.18 RA in his last five starts. Wolf is 1-1, 3.65 in his first two starts.
-- Sanchez is 0-3, 13.89 in his last three starts.

-- Chamberlain is 1-1, 5.40 in his last three starts.
-- Outman is 1-2, 4.91 in five major league starts. Purcey is 0-1, 6.17 in his two starts this season.
-- Penny has a 7.78 RA in his last four starts.
-- Harrison has a 7.98 RA in his last three starts.
-- Moseley has a 5.46 RA in his last six starts. Blackburn is 0-1, 6.55 in his first two '09 starts.
-- Verlander has an 11.42 RA in his first two '09 starts.

Hot Teams
-- Cardinals won seven of their last eight games.
-- Marlins won eight of their first nine games.
-- San Diego won six of its last seven games. Phillies won three of their last four games.
-- Cincinnati won three of its last four games. Astros won their last two games, 4-1/6-3.
-- Dodgers won last five games by combined score of 37-10.

-- Cleveland is 3-2 in last five games after an 0-5 start.
-- Toronto won eight of its first eleven games.
-- Orioles won six of first nine games, are 3-0 in series openers.
-- White Sox won four of their last five games.
-- Royals won three of their last four games.
-- Mariners won six of their last seven games. Detroit won four of its last five games.

Cold Teams
-- Cubs lost their last two games, 5-2/7-4.
-- Nationals snapped their seven-game losing streak last night.
-- Braves lost last three games, allowing 21 runs. Pirates lost three of their last four games.
-- Brewers lost four of their last five games. Mets lost five of last seven.
-- Rockies lost three of their last four games.
-- Arizona lost six of its last eight games. Giants lost their last six games in a row, outscored by total of 42-14.

-- Oakland lost four of its last six games.
-- Red Sox lost six of their last eight games.
-- Rays lost five of their last seven games.
-- Rangers lost five of their last six games.
-- Angels are 0-3 this season in game following a win. Twins lost five of their last six games.

Totals
-- Last three St Louis games all went over the total.
-- Three of last four Florida games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Pittsburgh games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 5-0-1 in Philadelphia's last six games.
-- Four of last five Milwaukee games went over the total.
-- Six of Reds' last seven games went over the total. Last four Houston games stayed under.
-- Five of last six Dodger games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Arizona games went over the total.

-- Eight of ten Cleveland games went over the total.
-- Seven of last eight Oakland games went over the total.
-- Seven of nine Baltimore games went over the total.
-- Seven of nine White Sox games stayed under the total.
-- Seven of nine Kansas City games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Minnesota games went over the total.
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Detroit games.

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[pm530]

MLB


Friday, April 17

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Trend Sheet
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1:05 PM
CLEVELAND vs. NY YANKEES
Cleveland is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Cleveland is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games
NY Yankees are 3-6 SU in their last 9 games when playing Cleveland
NY Yankees are 18-7 SU in their last 25 games when playing at home against Cleveland

2:20 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. CHI CUBS
St. Louis is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs
St. Louis is 6-14 SU in its last 20 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games at home
Chi Cubs are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing St. Louis

7:05 PM
ATLANTA vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Atlanta's last 13 games on the road
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing Atlanta

7:05 PM
FLORIDA vs. WASHINGTON
Florida is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
Florida is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Washington is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing Florida
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games when playing Florida

7:05 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. PHILADELPHIA
San Diego is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Diego's last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games
Philadelphia is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games at home

7:07 PM
OAKLAND vs. TORONTO
Oakland is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Oakland's last 8 games
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Toronto's last 8 games when playing Oakland

7:10 PM
BALTIMORE vs. BOSTON
Baltimore is 3-12 SU in its last 15 games on the road
Baltimore is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Boston is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Baltimore
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Baltimore

7:10 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. NY METS
Milwaukee is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games
NY Mets are 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Mets's last 5 games when playing Milwaukee

7:38 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. TAMPA BAY
Chi White Sox are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games on the road
Chi White Sox are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
Tampa Bay is 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox
Tampa Bay is 8-3 SU in their last 11 games when playing Chi White Sox

8:00 PM
CINCINNATI vs. HOUSTON
Cincinnati is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 6 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games when playing Cincinnati
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 6 games when playing Cincinnati

8:05 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. TEXAS
Kansas City is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Kansas City's last 5 games on the road
Texas is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Kansas City
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Texas's last 6 games when playing Kansas City

8:10 PM
LA ANGELS vs. MINNESOTA
LA Angels are 9-4 SU in their last 13 games on the road
LA Angels are 9-3 SU in their last 12 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing at home against LA Angels

10:10 PM
COLORADO vs. LA DODGERS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing LA Dodgers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games when playing Colorado
LA Dodgers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Colorado

10:10 PM
DETROIT vs. SEATTLE
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Detroit is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Seattle is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Seattle's last 12 games when playing Detroit

10:15 PM
ARIZONA vs. SAN FRANCISCO
Arizona is 3-14 SU in its last 17 games on the road
Arizona is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
San Francisco is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Arizona
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Francisco's last 5 games when playing Arizona

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[pm530]

MLB


Friday, April 17

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Hot lines: Today’s best MLB bets
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St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs (-179)

The Cardinals defeated Chicago 7-4 in Thursday's series opener, winning for the seventh time in eight games.

Chris Duncan extended his hitting streak to career-high 10 games after going 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs on Thursday. The left fielder is 14-for-36 (.389) with five doubles, a triple, two homers and 10 RBIs during the run.

His outstanding start to 2009 has come after he missed the second half of last season with a degenerative disk in his neck. A unique surgery, in which the bad disk was replaced by a titanium one, made it a relatively quick recovery.

"His toughness is off the charts," Cards manager Tony La Russa said. "You see it the way he plays, the way he runs the bases, the way he defends, the way he takes at-bats. He's never going to give in."

Duncan is batting .391 with five homers and 10 RBIs in 15 career games at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs hope Carlos Zambrano (1-0, 3.00) can help them avoid a three-game losing streak in his first home start of the season. The right-hander went 7-2 with a 3.77 ERA in 16 starts there last year.

A return to Wrigley might help Zambrano after he labored through six innings and didn't factor in the decision of Saturday's 6-5 win at Milwaukee. He allowed three runs and seven hits with seven strikeouts on 118 pitches in that outing.

"I really had to battle, but I just wanted to give us a chance to win the ballgame," Zambrano said.

Zambrano, though, wasn't very effective in losing two home starts against the Cardinals last year, allowing 17 runs and 16 hits - five homers - in six innings.

Pick: St. Louis +171



Cincinnati Reds at Houston Astros (-142, 8)

Houston Astros ace Roy Oswalt came into this season as the leader of a patchwork starting rotation, but he's still looking for his first win of the year. The veteran right-hander has to like his chances going into a series against the Cincinnati Reds.

Oswalt looks to improve to 24-1 lifetime against the Reds by winning his ninth straight start against them as the NL Central rivals open a four-game set Friday night in Houston.

Houston (3-6) expects a lot out of Oswalt in part because the rotation behind him consists of Wandy Rodriguez, journeyman Brian Moehler, injury-plagued Mike Hampton and Russ Ortiz, who was out of baseball last season while recovering from surgery on his pitching arm.

Brandon Backe, 9-14 with a 6.05 ERA last season, will also be in the mix once he returns from a stint on disabled list due to a strained rib cage muscle.

Oswalt (0-2, 6.23 ERA) hasn't delivered yet this season. He gave up three runs in seven innings of an opening-day loss to the Chicago Cubs before getting reached for six runs in six innings of an 11-2 defeat at St. Louis on Saturday.

"It doesn't matter if I gave up the first run, I feel like I was trying to pitch for innings after that, instead of just pitching," Oswalt told the Astros' official Web site. "When you try to be perfect, you give up more runs than you normally do."

Oswalt has been close to perfect in his career against the Reds (4-4). He's 23-1 with a 2.47 ERA in 28 career games - 26 starts - against them, including 8-0 with a 2.39 ERA in eight starts since he suffered his lone loss in Cincinnati on April 28, 2006.

Oswalt has held the Reds to one run in each of his last three outings against them.

That doesn't bode well for Cincinnati, which is coming off a 9-3 loss at Milwaukee on Wednesday.

Pick: Houston -142

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[pm530]

MLB
Baseball Today


SCOREBOARD

Friday, April 17

San Diego at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EDT). Phillies ace Cole Hamels tries to rebound from a shaky start when he faces Chris Young.

STARS

Thursday

— Grady Sizemore, Indians, hit a grand slam and Cleveland ruined the first game at the new Yankee Stadium by beating New York 10-2.

— Lance Berkman, Astros, hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the sixth inning to help Houston beat Pittsburgh 6-3.

— Cody Ross, Marlins, hit a three-run homer to help Florida beat Atlanta 6-2 and sweep a series at Turner Field for the first time.

ICHIRO: ICHIBAN

Ichiro Suzuki got the 3,086th hit of his career, setting a record for Japanese players, in Seattle’s 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night. He broke the mark of Isao Harimoto, who smiled and flashed a thumbs-up sign from the box seats. Ichiro tipped his batting helmet to the cheering home crowd.

ICE COLD

Jake Peavy overcame an three-run homer by Carlos Delgado in the first inning and hung on to help San Diego beat the New York Mets 6-5 Thursday night and take the first series at the Mets’ new ballpark. Afterward, there was no hot water in the visitors’ clubhouse at brand new Citi Field.

NATS WIN! NATS WIN!

The Nationals finally won a game in 2009, thanks to a strong outing by starter Shairon Martis and four homers, including one by Adam Dunn, in Washington’s 8-2 win over Philadelphia on Thursday night.

SPEAKING

“This one is dedicated to Nick and the Hokie Nation.”—The Angels’ Joe Saunders, who allowed just three hits and a run in seven innings to end Seattle’s six-game winning streak with a 5-1 win on Thursday night, two years after a gunman killed 27 students and five faculty members at Saunders’ former school and a little more than a week after teammate Nick Adenhart was killed in a car accident.

SEASONS

April 17

1892—In the first Sunday game in National League history, Cincinnati defeated St. Louis 5-1.

1932—New York first baseman Bill Terry tied an NL record with 21 putouts as the Giants beat Boston 5-0 behind Hal Schumacher’s two-hitter.

1951—In his first major league game, Mickey Mantle went 1-for-4 as the New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox 5-0.

1953—Mickey Mantle cleared the bleachers at Griffith Stadium with a 565-foot home run off Chuck Stobbs. The shot came in the fifth inning of a 7-3 win over the Senators.

1964—The New York Mets lost their first game at Shea Stadium to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-3. Pittsburgh’s Willie Stargell hit the first homer at Shea.

1969—Bill Stoneman of Montreal pitched a 7-0 no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies in the 10th game of the Expos’ existence.

1976—Mike Schmidt of the Philadelphia Phillies hit four consecutive home runs and a single in an 18-16, 10-inning victory over the Cubs in Wrigley Field. Hitting .167 going into the game, he connected twice off Rick Reuschel, once off Rick’s brother, Paul, and once off Darold Knowles. He drove in eight runs.

2001—Barry Bonds became the 17th major leaguer to hit 500 home runs. Bonds’ two-run, eighth-inning drive off Terry Adams went into San Francisco Bay to lead the Giants over the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2.

2006—Albert Pujols of St. Louis tied a major league record with a home run in his fourth consecutive at-bat in a 2-1 win over Pittsburgh. A day after hitting three homers, Pujols homered to center off Paul Maholm in the top of the first to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.

2008—Troy Tulowitzki’s RBI double with two outs in the 22nd inning scored Willy Taveras and the Colorado Rockies beat the San Diego Padres 2-1 in the longest game in the majors in nearly 15 years, a 6-hour, 16-minute marathon.

2008—Chipper Jones, Mark Teixeira and Brian McCann hit consecutive home runs in a span of 12 pitches in the fifth inning off Florida’s Ricky Nolasco in Atlanta’s 8-0 win.

Today’s birthday: Jed Lowrie 25.

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[pm530]

NHL
Long Sheet


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Friday, April 17
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PHILADELPHIA (44-28-0-11, 99 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (46-28-0-9, 101 pts.) - 4/17/2009, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 31-10 ATS (+18.7 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 68-42 ATS (+10.6 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 27-8 ATS (+13.6 Units) in home games vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 16-8 ATS (+7.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 6-1 ATS (+7.1 Units) in road games on Friday nights this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 25-15 ATS (+43.4 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 20-8 (+11.2 Units) against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 20-8-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
18 of 26 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+8.9 Units)

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CAROLINA (45-31-0-7, 97 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (52-27-0-4, 108 pts.) - 4/17/2009, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW JERSEY is 52-31 ATS (+87.7 Units) in all games this season.
NEW JERSEY is 12-2 ATS (+9.2 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
NEW JERSEY is 9-1 ATS (+7.4 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders this season.
NEW JERSEY is 20-6 ATS (+20.0 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more this season.
NEW JERSEY is 47-26 ATS (+9.8 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 15-6 ATS (+6.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NEW JERSEY is 10-2 ATS (+7.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
CAROLINA is 43-31 ATS (+7.3 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
CAROLINA is 11-6 ATS (+17.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW JERSEY is 8-5 (+2.1 Units) against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
NEW JERSEY is 8-5-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.5 Units)

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ST LOUIS (41-32-0-10, 92 pts.) at VANCOUVER (46-27-0-10, 102 pts.) - 4/17/2009, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 41-42 ATS (+94.8 Units) in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 27-19 ATS (+50.2 Units) second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 8-3 ATS (+11.6 Units) on Friday nights this season.
ST LOUIS is 21-20 ATS (+49.9 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
ST LOUIS is 12-7 ATS (+21.1 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game this season.
ST LOUIS is 13-8 ATS (+24.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
VANCOUVER is 18-32 ATS (-30.8 Units) in home games in April games since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 43-44 ATS (-21.0 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 23-22 ATS (-7.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
VANCOUVER is 9-4 (+2.4 Units) against the spread versus ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
VANCOUVER is 9-4-0 straight up against ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.7 Units)


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Saturday, April 18
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NY RANGERS (44-30-0-9, 97 pts.) at WASHINGTON (50-25-0-8, 108 pts.) - 4/18/2009, 1:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 21-6 ATS (+12.8 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
WASHINGTON is 43-27 ATS (+71.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 9-1 ATS (+7.8 Units) in the first round of the playoffs over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 5-12 ATS (-11.6 Units) in home games in the first round of the playoffs since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY RANGERS is 7-6 (+0.9 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
NY RANGERS is 7-6-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.2 Units)

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[pm530]

NHL
Write-up


NHL Playoffs

Friday, April 17

Flyers are 4-7 in last eleven games, 2-6 in last eight games vs Pittsburgh, 1-9 in their last ten in this building. Penguins scored four goals in Game 1 despite going just 1-9 on power play (10:34 with man advantage)- they won ten of last thirteen games, winning last five at home by a combined score of 22-6. Flyers were 1-4 on power play in Game 1 (6:31).

Carolina won nine of last twelve games, but lost Game 1 here 4-1, just their second loss in last games against the Devils. Five of last six series games stayed under the total. Home team won seven of last eight games in series, with Carolina 2-6 in last seven visits to Garden State. Devils won five of last five games- they outshot Carolina 39-19 in Game 1.

St Louis won nine of last twelve games, allowing four goals in last four games, but their 2-1 loss in Game 1 was sixth loss in last seven visits to this building. Over is 5-2-1 in last eight series games. Canucks are 24-9 in last 33 games, winning last three games by combined score of 4-1- their last five games stayed under the total.

Saturday, April 18

Rangers won last two games vs Washington, after losing previous five; Rangers lost seven of last nine visits here, with six of nine staying under total, but they won Game 1 4-3, despite getting out shot 35-21. Rangers won last four games overall, allowing eight goals. Capitols were 2-7 on power play in Game 1- they had man advantage for 12:13.

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[pm530]

NHL
Trend Sheet


Friday, April 17

7:00 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. PITTSBURGH
Philadelphia is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games
Pittsburgh is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Pittsburgh's last 10 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

7:30 PM
CAROLINA vs. NEW JERSEY
Carolina is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games
Carolina is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing New Jersey
New Jersey is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Carolina
New Jersey is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Carolina

10:00 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. VANCOUVER
St. Louis is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games
St. Louis is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Vancouver
Vancouver is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Vancouver is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing St. Louis

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

[pm530]

NHL


Friday, April 17

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Ice Picks: NHL best bets
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Carolina Hurricanes at New Jersey Devils (-150, 5)

The New Jersey Devils surprised a lot of people by dominating the first game of this series.

The Devils struggled down the final stretch of the regular season while the Hurricanes were the hottest team in the NHL. New Jersey outshot Carolina 39-19 on its way to a 4-1 victory.

"Its step one," Devils forward Zach Parise told the media. "It's going to be a long series. You've got the start somewhere and the effort was there from everybody. It was a good way for us to start."

Martin Brodeur was tested just 19 times and was happy with his team’s effort.

"They'll adjust and try to do something different in Game 2 but I liked the way we came out, the energy and the crowd was great,” he told the press.

Wednesday night’s game was the first taste of playoff action for Carolina since they won the Stanley Cup since 2006.

"It's one of those things, they came ready to play and we fell behind early. Friday night we have to come in ready to play at the drop of the puck,” said Matt Cullen showing confidence in his club.

Pick: Carolina +130



Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh Penguins (-170, 5.5)

In what is expected to be a long series, the Penguins delivered the first blow Wednesday night with a 4-1 Game 1 victory.

The Flyers attempted to physically intimidate the Penguins but it didn’t go as planned. Pittsburgh kept its legs moving all the way to 1-0 series lead.

"We know that their style. That's how they play," Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury told reporters. "But it's nice to see how the guys handled it with no problem and just moved on."

The Flyers got into penalty trouble and fell behind early. They spent 20 more minutes in the box than the Penguins and gave up a power-play goal just under five minutes into the game.

"That's the worse-case scenario, coming in here to start in their building and taking a penalty they capitalize on," Philly coach John Stevens told the press. "I thought it was an undisciplined penalty.”

Lead by Jeff Carter, the Flyers did manage to generate some pressure in the third period. Carter posted eight shots on goal.

The two teams managed to stay under the total of six in Game 1, but that’s because the Pens dominated the play. If things even out in Game 2 the goals will come.

Pick: Over 5.5

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

[Udog]

MLB
Dunkel


Detroit at Seattle
The Tigers come in 1-6 in Justin Verlander's last 7 starts as an underdog and face a Seattle team that is 8-3 in Felix Hernandez' last 11 starts against the AL Central. The Mariners are the pick (-125) according to Dunkel, which has Seattle favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-125). Here are all of today's games

FRIDAY, APRIL 17

Game 951-952: St. Louis at Chicago Cubs
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Walters) 15.082; Cubs (Zambrano) 16.213
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-185); No Total
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (-185); N/A

Game 953-954: Florida at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Nolasco) 15.333; Washington (Lannan) 15.472
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Florida (-135); 9
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+125); Over

Game 955-956: Atlanta at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Jurrjens) 13.745; Pittsburgh (Maholm) 15.110
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-135); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+125); Under

Game 957-958: San Diego at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Young) 15.123; Philadelphia (Hamels) 16.243
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-180); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-180); Under

Game 959-960: Milwaukee at NY Mets
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Bush) 14.278; NY Mets (Hernandez) 15.507
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 10
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-145); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-145); Over

Game 961-962: Cincinnati at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Cueto) 14.128; Houston (Oswalt) 14.937
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Houston (-160); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (-160); Over

Game 963-964: Colorado at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (De La Rosa) 16.558; LA Dodgers (Wolf) 15.412
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1; 7
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-165); 8
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+155); Under

Game 965-966: Arizona at San Francisco
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Haren) 12.597; San Francisco (Sanchez) 14.147
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Arizona (-155); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+145); Under

Game 967-968: Cleveland at NY Yankees
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Reyes) 16.973; NY Yankees (Chamberlain) 15.902
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 8
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-230); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+200); Under

Game 969-970: Oakland at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Outman) 15.417; Toronto (Purcey) 15.153
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Toronto (-140); 9
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+130); Under

Game 971-972: Baltimore at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Guthrie) 15.626; Boston (Penny) 14.070
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-150); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+140); Over

Game 973-974: Chicago White Sox at Tampa Bay
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Colon) 15.001; Tampa Bay (Shields) 16.674
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-180); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-180); Under

Game 975-976: Kansas City at Texas
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Meche) 16.916; Texas (Harrison) 15.705
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 11
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-120); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (-120); Over

Game 977-978: LA Angels at Minnesota
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Moseley) 14.451; Minnesota (Blackburn) 14.981
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-125); 9
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-125); Over

Game 979-980: Detroit at Seattle
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Verlander) 14.931; Seattle (Hernandez) 15.473
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Seattle (-125); 8
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-125); Over

[Udog]

NHL
Dunkel


Carolina at New Jersey
The Devils look to follow up their Game One win (4-1) and take advantage of a Carolina team that is 2-9 in its last 11 games following a loss by 3 or more goals. New Jersey is the pick (-150) according to Dunkel, which has the Devils favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: New Jersey (-150). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, APRIL 17

Game 67-68: Philadelphia at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 12.387; Pittsburgh 11.828
Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Pittsburgh (-170); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+150); Over

Game 69-70: Carolina at New Jersey
Dunkel Ratings: Carolina 10.903; New Jersey 11.908
Dunkel Line & Total: New Jersey by 1; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey (-150); 5
Dunkel Pick: New Jersey (-150); Over

Game 71-72: St. Louis at Vancouver
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis 11.512; Vancouver 12.526
Dunkel Line & Total: Vancouver by 1; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Vancouver (-185); 5
Dunkel Pick: Vancouver (-185); Under

[Udog]

MLB
Long Sheet


Friday, April 17


ST LOUIS (8 - 3) at CHICAGO CUBS (5 - 4) - 2:20 PM
P.J. WALTERS (R) vs. CARLOS ZAMBRANO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 94-79 (+13.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 407-300 (+61.3 Units) against the money line in day games since 1997.
ST LOUIS is 94-79 (+13.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 63-48 (+15.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 962-1013 (-186.2 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 116-98 (-41.7 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 514-472 (-112.7 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 377-348 (-77.4 Units) against the money line in home games in day games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 905-929 (-164.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 377-347 (-75.3 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters since 1997.
ZAMBRANO is 16-18 (-13.7 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ZAMBRANO is 8-12 (-12.4 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ZAMBRANO is 16-18 (-13.7 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ZAMBRANO is 3-12 (-16.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)


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



P.J. WALTERS vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
No recent starts.



CARLOS ZAMBRANO vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
ZAMBRANO is 9-6 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 3.26 and a WHIP of 1.199.
His team's record is 12-9 (+1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-11. (-4.2 units)




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FLORIDA (8 - 1) at WASHINGTON (1 - 7) - 7:05 PM
RICKY NOLASCO (R) vs. JOHN LANNAN (L)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 91-82 (+38.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 53-36 (+24.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.
FLORIDA is 8-1 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
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 42-41 (+14.0 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 8-1 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in April games this season.
FLORIDA is 8-1 (+8.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
FLORIDA is 8-1 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
FLORIDA is 64-59 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
NOLASCO is 22-12 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 13-6 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 21-12 (+12.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WASHINGTON is 25-57 (-23.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 60-109 (-30.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 60-106 (-27.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 41-77 (-23.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 3-0 (+3.0 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.0 Units)



RICKY NOLASCO vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
NOLASCO is 5-1 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 4.02 and a WHIP of 0.967.
His team's record is 5-2 (+2.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-3. (+0.9 units)



JOHN LANNAN vs. FLORIDA since 1997
LANNAN is 0-1 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 18.00 and a WHIP of 2.000.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)




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ATLANTA (5 - 4) at PITTSBURGH (4 - 5) - 7:05 PM
JAIR JURRJENS (R) vs. PAUL MAHOLM (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 10-26 (-18.1 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 77-94 (-24.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 31-53 (-18.0 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 76-92 (-23.4 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.
ATLANTA is 23-34 (-16.9 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 245-263 (+26.0 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
ATLANTA is 46-20 (+26.5 Units) against the money line in road games after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997.


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



JAIR JURRJENS vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
JURRJENS is 1-1 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 4.36 and a WHIP of 1.355.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)



PAUL MAHOLM vs. ATLANTA since 1997
MAHOLM is 0-1 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 2.77 and a WHIP of 1.231.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.0 units)




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SAN DIEGO (7 - 3) at PHILADELPHIA (4 - 4) - 7:05 PM
CHRIS YOUNG (R) vs. COLE HAMELS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 70-101 (-30.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 70-101 (-30.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 48-75 (-25.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 18-3 (+13.0 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 over the last 2 seasons.


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



CHRIS YOUNG vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
YOUNG is 2-1 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 1.96 and a WHIP of 1.037.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-0. (+3.0 units)



COLE HAMELS vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
HAMELS is 2-1 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 2.40 and a WHIP of 0.900.
His team's record is 3-2 (+0.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-3. (-1.3 units)




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


MILWAUKEE (3 - 6) at NY METS (4 - 5) - 7:10 PM
DAVE BUSH (R) vs. LIVAN HERNANDEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BUSH is 6-20 (-13.0 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997. (Team's Record)
BUSH is 19-46 (-25.5 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BUSH is 17-42 (-23.8 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
BUSH is 9-25 (-15.7 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)
BUSH is 11-25 (-14.8 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record)
HERNANDEZ is 19-13 (+10.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HERNANDEZ is 19-12 (+11.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
HERNANDEZ is 12-5 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HERNANDEZ is 16-9 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NY METS are 31-40 (-24.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 15-21 (-18.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.


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



DAVE BUSH vs. NY METS since 1997
BUSH is 1-1 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 7.36 and a WHIP of 1.727.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)



LIVAN HERNANDEZ vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 7-6 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 3.77 and a WHIP of 1.463.
His team's record is 7-12 (-5.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 10-8. (+0.9 units)




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CINCINNATI (4 - 4) at HOUSTON (3 - 6) - 8:05 PM
JOHNNY CUETO (R) vs. ROY OSWALT (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 46-65 (-23.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 30-43 (-19.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 89-81 (+18.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 87-80 (+16.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 65-57 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 50-37 (+19.2 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 451-524 (+44.6 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 81-75 (+25.2 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Friday since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 297-339 (+31.9 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997.


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



JOHNNY CUETO vs. HOUSTON since 1997
CUETO is 0-3 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 7.84 and a WHIP of 1.935.
His team's record is 0-4 (-5.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.3 units)



ROY OSWALT vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
OSWALT is 22-1 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 2.55 and a WHIP of 1.092.
His team's record is 22-4 (+13.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 12-12. (-1.0 units)




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


COLORADO (4 - 4) at LA DODGERS (7 - 3) - 10:10 PM
JORGE DE LA ROSA (L) vs. RANDY WOLF (L)
Top Trends for this game.
WOLF is 20-7 (+13.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
WOLF is 20-7 (+13.0 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
WOLF is 17-4 (+13.0 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
COLORADO is 27-15 (+14.2 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 87-77 (+24.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.


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



JORGE DE LA ROSA vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
DE LA ROSA is 0-3 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 8.40 and a WHIP of 1.867.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)



RANDY WOLF vs. COLORADO since 1997
WOLF is 4-2 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.481.
His team's record is 5-4 (+0.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-5. (-2.5 units)




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


ARIZONA (3 - 6) at SAN FRANCISCO (2 - 7) - 10:15 PM
DAN HAREN (R) vs. JONATHAN SANCHEZ (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 86-86 (-18.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 34-47 (-16.9 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 86-83 (-15.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 659-560 (+74.6 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997.


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



DAN HAREN vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
HAREN is 6-4 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 3.16 and a WHIP of 1.221.
His team's record is 6-6 (-1.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-5. (+1.4 units)



JONATHAN SANCHEZ vs. ARIZONA since 1997
SANCHEZ is 1-5 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 8.56 and a WHIP of 2.012.
His team's record is 2-5 (-2.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-5. (-4.9 units)




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


CLEVELAND (3 - 7) at NY YANKEES (5 - 5) - 1:05 PM
ANTHONY REYES (R) vs. JOBA CHAMBERLAIN (R)
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 21-32 (-15.2 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
REYES is 8-18 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
REYES is 9-20 (-14.6 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)
NY YANKEES are 28-34 (-20.9 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 3 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 24-30 (-20.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 3 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 1-0 (+1.9 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)



ANTHONY REYES vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
No recent starts.



JOBA CHAMBERLAIN vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
No recent starts.




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


OAKLAND (4 - 5) at TORONTO (8 - 3) - 7:07 PM
JOSH OUTMAN (L) vs. DAVID PURCEY (L)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


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



JOSH OUTMAN vs. TORONTO since 1997
No recent starts.



DAVID PURCEY vs. OAKLAND since 1997
No recent starts.




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


BALTIMORE (6 - 3) at BOSTON (3 - 6) - 7:10 PM
JEREMY GUTHRIE (R) vs. BRAD PENNY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 108-118 (+30.3 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 21-14 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 31-21 (+17.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 60-60 (+10.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 325-380 (+29.5 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
BOSTON is 228-182 (-46.6 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.
BOSTON is 334-253 (-50.0 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997.


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



JEREMY GUTHRIE vs. BOSTON since 1997
GUTHRIE is 1-2 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 3.38 and a WHIP of 1.571.
His team's record is 2-5 (-2.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-1. (+2.9 units)



BRAD PENNY vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
No recent starts.




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


CHI WHITE SOX (5 - 4) at TAMPA BAY (4 - 6) - 7:38 PM
BARTOLO COLON (R) vs. JAMES SHIELDS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 5-18 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 40-16 (+21.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 109-79 (+26.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 25-2 (+21.7 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 63-30 (+26.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 20-8 (+12.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 63-31 (+25.1 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 67-36 (+24.4 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 80-48 (+29.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SHIELDS is 14-1 (+12.4 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHI WHITE SOX are 53-29 (+20.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)



BARTOLO COLON vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
COLON is 9-2 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 3.41 and a WHIP of 1.301.
His team's record is 11-6 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 13-3. (+10.0 units)



JAMES SHIELDS vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
SHIELDS is 1-1 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 4.44 and a WHIP of 1.405.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.1 units)




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KANSAS CITY (5 - 4) at TEXAS (4 - 5) - 8:05 PM
GIL MECHE (R) vs. MATT HARRISON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
MECHE is 37-55 (-27.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record)
TEXAS is 46-32 (+14.2 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 10 to 10.5 over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 60-57 (+11.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 34-33 (+13.3 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 37-28 (+20.5 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.


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



GIL MECHE vs. TEXAS since 1997
MECHE is 4-9 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 6.40 and a WHIP of 1.733.
His team's record is 4-11 (-8.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-8. (-2.9 units)



MATT HARRISON vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
HARRISON is 1-0 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 1.35 and a WHIP of 1.349.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)




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LA ANGELS (4 - 5) at MINNESOTA (4 - 7) - 8:10 PM
DUSTIN MOSELEY (R) vs. NICK BLACKBURN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 18-6 (+11.2 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 56-33 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 19-7 (+12.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 58-35 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 56-33 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 105-70 (+19.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 46-21 (+21.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 52-34 (+18.8 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 19-9 (+10.7 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 183-134 (+42.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 39-26 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 36-24 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 33-18 (+16.5 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 2 seasons.


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



DUSTIN MOSELEY vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
No recent starts.



NICK BLACKBURN vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
BLACKBURN is 0-2 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 3.08 and a WHIP of 1.542.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)




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DETROIT (5 - 4) at SEATTLE (7 - 3) - 10:10 PM
JUSTIN VERLANDER (R) vs. FELIX HERNANDEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 27-40 (-16.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 79-92 (-29.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 84-132 (-38.7 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997.
DETROIT is 73-78 (-22.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 50-57 (-16.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 52-68 (-27.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
VERLANDER is 14-21 (-13.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VERLANDER is 13-19 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SEATTLE is 68-104 (-32.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 61-95 (-31.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 43-72 (-27.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 43-72 (-27.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 38-65 (-25.0 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.


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



JUSTIN VERLANDER vs. SEATTLE since 1997
VERLANDER is 6-1 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 2.91 and a WHIP of 1.252.
His team's record is 6-1 (+5.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-2. (+3.2 units)



FELIX HERNANDEZ vs. DETROIT since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 3-2 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 2.97 and a WHIP of 1.286.
His team's record is 3-2 (+0.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-2. (+0.6 units)




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[pm530]

MLB
Tips and Trends


Friday, April 17

San Diego Padres at Philadelphia Phillies [7:05 PM ET]

Padres: San Diego will start a pitcher who’s looked perhaps as sharp as any in the majors through two outings. Chris Young gave up two runs over six innings in his season debut, then conceded only an unearned run while striking out seven over seven innings Sunday in a 6-1 win over San Francisco, outpitching Giants ace Tim Lincecum. Young is 2-1 with a 1.96 ERA in three career starts against the Phillies, including a six-inning, two-run outing in a 4-2 win at Philadelphia on April 30. The Padres come into Philadelphia having won six of their last seven on the season.

The Padres are 3-11 in Young's last 14 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
The Padres are 17-45 in their last 62 games as a road underdog.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 3

Phillies (-165, O/U 8.5): Cole Hamels (elbow tightness) didn’t have his usual velocity as he lasted 3 2-3 innings in his season debut, giving up seven runs and 11 hits. “Cole Hamels doesn’t pitch at 86 mph. He pitches 88, 93. That’s a huge difference,” manager Charlie Manuel said. “That tells me that he’s not quite ready yet.” Hamels won both of his starts against the Padres last season, allowing three runs in 15 1-3 innings. Harry Kalas, the team’s longtime broadcaster who passed away on Monday, is to be honored before Friday’s first pitch. “We have had a lot of distractions and a lot of things going on, and we need to get on with our season,” Manuel said.

Phillies are 26-8 in their last 34 home games.
The Phillies are 16-5 in their last 21 home games following a road trip of 7 or more days.

Key Injuries - C Carlos Ruiz (oblique) is on the 15-day DL.

PROJECTED SCORE: 4 (UNDER - Total Play of the Day)



Chicago White Sox at Tampa Bay Rays [7:38 PM ET]

White Sox: Bartolo Colon began his second stint with the White Sox by throwing six scoreless innings with three hits and two walks on Friday in an 8-0 victory over Minnesota. “As soon as I left my house driving here, I felt fine,” Colon told the team’s official Web site through a translator. “I felt good. I was excited.” Colon will face the Rays for the first time in two seasons, but has experienced plenty of success against Tampa Bay with a 9-2 record and 3.41 ERA in 17 career starts. At Tropicana Field, he is 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA in eight starts.

The White Sox are 2-8 in their last 10 games as an underdog.
The Under is 10-2 in the White Sox's last 12 overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 3

Rays: (-175, O/U 8.5): The Rays will look to even the series with right-hander James Shields, whose previous meeting with Chicago was a win in the 2008 ALDS. Shields was 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in three previous career starts against the White Sox, but began Tampa Bay’s run to its first AL pennant by allowing three runs and six hits over 6 1-3 innings. The Rays have scored four runs or fewer in all but three games this season. Evan Longoria, who missed the last two contests due to a death in the family, is expected to return Friday. Carlos Pena has struck out 14 times in 25 career at-bats against Colon.

The Rays are 25-6 in Shields' last 31 starts as a favorite.
The Under is 21-5 in the last 26 meetings in Tampa Bay.

Key Injuries - 3B Evan Longoria (personal) is PROBABLE.

PROJECTED SCORE: 6 (Side Play of the Day)

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