Announcement

**BettorsChat** · 05-30-2009, 01:40 AM

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MLB Weekend Cheat Sheet
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In this edition of the MLB Cheat Sheet, a guide designed to help you isolate a few key best bets, we focus on two key series on both the American and National League cards this weekend. Keep in mind that all pitcher records are ‘team starts’ unless noted otherwise. Enjoy…

Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs

Most Recent Series Result: Dodgers 5-1 last six games vs. Cubs

Most Recent Series Result: at the Site: Cubs 3-2 last five home games vs. Dodgers

Key Day/Month Stat: Cubs 14-3 home on Sundays

Best Arm in the Series: Cubs’ Dempster 5-1, 3.63 ERA last six starts vs. Dodgers

Worst Arm in the Series: Cubs’ Zambrano 1-3, 4.92 ERA home lifetime vs. Dodgers

Florida Marlins at New York Mets

Most Recent Series Result: Marlins 5-2 last seven games vs. Mets

Most Recent Series Result at the Site: Marlins 5-2 last seven away games vs. Mets

Key Day/Month Stat: Mets 5-0 home on Saturdays; Marlins 2-5 away on Saturdays

Best Arm in the Series: Marlins’ Johnson 6-1, 1.98 ERA lifetime vs. Mets; 3-0 away

Worst Arm in the Series: Mets’ Pelfrey 1-7, 6.12 ERA lifetime vs. Marlins

Boston Red Sox at Toronto Blue Jays

Most Recent Series Result: Rex Sox 7-1 last eight games vs. Blue Jays

Most Recent Series Result: at the Site: Blue Jays 8-3 last 11 home games vs. Red Sox

Key Day/Month Stat: Blue Jays 3-0 home on Sundays; Red Sox 0-4 away on Sundays

Best Arm in the Series: Red Sox’ Penny 5-0, 3.23 ERA lifetime vs. Blue Jays

Worst Arm in the Series: Red Sox’ Lester 0-3, 7.31 ERA away lifetime vs. Blue Jays

New York Yankees at Cleveland Indians

Most Recent Series Result: Indians 9-6 last 15 games vs. Yankees

Most Recent Series Result at the Site: Indians 4-2 last six home games vs. Yankees

Key Day/Month Stat: Yankees 9-3 away on Saturdays; Indians 1-8 home on Saturdays

Best Arm in the Series: Indians’ Lee 3-0, 1.84 ERA last three away starts vs. Yankees

Worst Arm in the Series: Yankees’ Wang 1-5, 9.58 ERA last six starts vs. Indians; Pettite 0-3, 3.08 ERA last three starts vs. Indians

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Baseball Today
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SCOREBOARD

Saturday, May 30

New York Yankees at Cleveland (7:05 p.m. EDT). Yankees ace CC Sabathia makes his first start in Cleveland since the Indians traded him to the Milwaukee Brewers last year. Fausto Carmona is scheduled to get the ball for the Indians.

SEASONS

May 30

1922 - Between the morning and afternoon games of a Memorial Day twin bill, Max Flack of the Chicago Cubs was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Cliff Heathcote. They played one game for each team.

1927 - In the fourth inning of a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, shortstop Jim Cooney of the Chicago Cubs caught Paul Waner's liner, stepped on second to double Lloyd Waner and then tagged Clyde Barnhart coming from first for an unassisted triple play.

1935 - Babe Ruth made his last major league appearance. He played one inning for the Boston Braves against the Philadelphia Phillies. Jim Bivin retired Babe Ruth on an infield grounder in the Babe's final major league at-bat.

1940 - Carl Hubbell of the New York Giants threw 87 pitches in a 7-0 one-hitter against the Brooklyn Dodgers. He faced the minimum 27 batters. Johnny Hudson, who singled, was caught stealing.

1956 - Mickey Mantle hit a home run that came within a foot-and-a-half of leaving Yankee Stadium. It hit the face of the upper deck in right field, 370 feet from home plate and 117 feet in the air. Mantle became the first player to hit 20 home runs by the end of May as the Yankees beat the Washington Senators 4-3.

1961 - Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and Bill Skowron each hit two homers to lead the New York Yankees to a 12-3 rout of the Boston Red Sox. Yogi Berra also added a homer.

1962 - Pedro Ramos of the Cleveland Indians tossed a three-hitter and hit two home runs, including a grand slam, for a 7-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

1977 - Cleveland's Dennis Eckersley pitched a 1-0 no-hitter against the California Angels.

1982 - Baltimore's Cal Ripken Jr. began his record consecutive games streak by starting at third base against the Toronto Blue Jays.

1987 - Eric Davis hit a grand slam in the third inning, breaking two National League records and leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Davis became the first NL player to hit three grand slams in a month and his major league leading 19 homers broke the NL record for most homers in April and May.

1992 - Scott Sanderson became the ninth pitcher to beat all 26 major league teams as New York defeated Milwaukee 8-1. Sanderson joined Nolan Ryan, Tommy John, Don Sutton, Mike Torrez, Rick Wise, Gaylord Perry, Doyle Alexander and Rich Gossage as those who had defeated every club.

2001 - Barry Bonds hit two home runs, moving past Willie McCovey and Ted Williams into 11th place on the career list with 522. Bonds hit 17 home runs in May, surpassing the mark set by Mark McGwire in 1998 and Mickey Mantle in 1956.

2003 - Ken Griffey Jr. hit a game-tying home run in the ninth and a go-ahead homer in the top of the 11th to lead Cincinnati over Florida 4-3.

2006 - Vernon Wells hit three home runs and Troy Glaus added two more in Toronto's 8-5 victory over Boston.

Today's birthdays: Reggie Willits 28; Manny Ramirez 37; Scott Eyre 37.

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This Day in Baseball
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On May 30 in Baseball History...

1913 - John McGraw joins Fred Clarke, Cap Anson, Frank Selee, and Connie Mack as managers who have won 1,000 games.

1921 - A memorial to Captain Eddie Grant, killed in action in the Argonne Forest October 20, 1918, is unveiled at the Polo Grounds.

1925 - Rogers Hornsby is named manager of the Cardinals, replacing Branch Rickey, who remains as general manager. Hornsby will be the only player-manager to win the Triple Crown, which he does by topping .400 for the third time in four years, hitting .403 with 39 home runs and 143 RBI.

1927 - Walter Johnson's first appearance of the season is the occasion of the last shutout of his career, number 113, in a 3-0 win over Boston.

1932 - A plaque in memory of Miller Huggins, former Yankee manager, is dedicated at Yankee Stadium. It is the first of an array of monuments erected in the ballpark.

1935 - Babe Ruth plays only the first inning of the opener of a doubleheader between the Boston Braves and Philadelphia Phillies at Baker Bowl. It is his final major league appearance.

1938 - The largest crowd in Yankee Stadium history, 83,533, sees Red Ruffing end Lefty Grove's eight-game winning streak in a 10-0 victory over the Red Sox. Approximately 6,000 fans are turned away, and 511 are given refunds because there is no place to sit. The Yankees also take the nightcap, 5-4, in a game made famous for a fight between Yankees outfielder Jake Powell and Boston player-manager Joe Cronin. Both players are fined and suspended for ten days.

1946 - In a play that anticipates a scene in The Natural by Brooklyn-native Bernard Malamud, the Braves' Bama Rowell smashes a home run in the second inning of the second game of a doubleheader at Ebbets Field. The ball shatters the Bulova clock high atop the right-field scoreboard at 4:25 P.M., showering glass down on the Dodgers right fielder Dixie Walker. An hour later the clock stops.

1956 - Mickey Mantle hits one of the most memorable home runs in his career, in the second game of a doubleheader with the Washington Senators. He tags a pitch from Pedro Ramos that comes within 18 inches of leaving Yankee Stadium, something never accomplished by any major leaguer. The ball was still climbing when it caromed off the upper-stand facade, about 396 feet from home plate. Estimates are that the ball could have traveled more than 600 feet. It is Mantle's 20th home run of the season — no one else has ever hit 20 home runs before June.

1967 - Whitey Ford, nearing 41, announces his retirement from baseball because of an elbow injury. His final appearance was a start in Detroit on May 21, but he lasted just one inning for the Yankees. The stylish lefthander closes out with 236 career wins and only 106 losses for a .690 percentage.

1970 - All-Star voting is returned to the fans, as computerized punch-card ballots appear in stores and ballparks coast to coast. Since 1958 the All-Star squads had been selected by managers, coaches, and players.

1971 - Willie Mays hits his 638th career home run for the Giants, adding in the process his N.L. record 1,950th run scored. Stan Musial had been the record holder with 1,949 runs.

1977 - Twenty-two-year-old Dennis Eckersley fires a no-hitter as the Indians top the Angels 1-0. Frank Tanana, with three shutouts in his last four games, takes the loss.

1992 - The Yankees Scott Sanderson becomes the ninth pitcher to defeat all 26 major league teams. Also on the list: Nolan Ryan, Tommy John, Don Sutton, Gaylord Perry, Rick Wise, Doyle Alexander, and Rich "Goose" Gossage.

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**BettorsChat** · 05-30-2009, 01:40 AM

NHL DUNKEL

Pittsburgh at Detroit
The Penguins open the series looking to build on their 9-3 record in their last 12 games as an underdog between +110 and +150. Pittsburgh is the pick (+140) according to Dunkel, which has the Penguins favored by 1/2 a goal. Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+140). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

SATURDAY, MAY 30

Game 1-2: Pittsburgh at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 14.299; Detroit 14.013
Dunkel Line & Total: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit (-160); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+140); Over

NHL LONG SHEET

Saturday, May 30

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PITTSBURGH (57-32-0-10, 124 pts.) at DETROIT (63-23-0-12, 138 pts.) - 5/30/2009, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 50-12 ATS (+20.0 Units) in home games after a division game over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 16-3 ATS (+10.1 Units) in the Stanley Cup finals since 1996.
DETROIT is 54-18 ATS (+15.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 118-83 ATS (+15.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 79-47 ATS (+18.7 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 49-33 ATS (+12.3 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 65-50 ATS (+13.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 27-13 ATS (+11.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 6-3 (+0.1 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 6-3-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.9 Units)

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**BettorsChat** · 05-30-2009, 01:41 AM

NHL ADDITIONAL

Saturday, May 30

Matchups

http://stats.newbodog.com/nhl/matchu...id=533013-8D8C

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. DETROIT
Pittsburgh is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing Detroit
Pittsburgh is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Detroit is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games

**BettorsChat** · 05-30-2009, 01:42 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Saturday, May 30

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Magic try again to finish off the Cavs, while the Pens skate into Detroit for the opening game of the Stanley Cup final.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The Cavaliers will try to tie up their best-of-seven series with the Magic on Saturday night when the Eastern Conference Finals shifts back to Orlando for Game 6. LeBron James poured in 37 points on Thursday night to lead the Cavs to a 112-102 victory and cut Orlando's series lead to 3-2. Mo Williams added 24 points in the win for Cleveland, while Zydrunas Ilgauskas picked up 16 points. Hedo Turkoglu had 29 points for the Magic, and Dwight Howard added 24 points and 10 rebounds. Game 7, if required, would be played in Cleveland on Monday.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

White Sox ace Mark Buehrle gets the ball on Saturday as his team continues its road series in Kansas City. The lefthander has allowed more than three runs in just one start so far this season, and he's sitting at 6-1 with a 2.59 ERA. Buerhle got a no-decision vs. the Royals back in his season debut on April 7. Gil Meche (2-5, 4.55 ERA) hasn't picked up a win since May 3, but the righthander held his own in that duel with Buerhle back on April 7 - one earned run in seven innings.

Elsewhere around the American League on Saturday it'll be Boston at Toronto, Minnesota at Tampa Bay, Detroit at Baltimore, Oakland at Texas, Seattle at the Angels, and the Yankees at Cleveland. CC Sabathia (4-3, 3.42 ERA) takes the mound for New York; he's allowed just six earned runs over his past 32 innings. Fausto Carmona (2-4, 6.42 ERA) was rocked by the Rays in his previous outing, allowing five runs in 1 1-3 innings. Carmona beat the Yankees back on April 18.

Over in the National League on Saturday it'll be Florida at the Mets, Atlanta at Arizona, the Dodgers at the Cubs, Houston at Pittsburgh, Washington at Philadelphia, Cincinnati at Milwaukee, San Diego at Colorado, and St. Louis at San Francisco. Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter is 2-0 through four starts and hasn't given up an earned run this season (through 23 innings pitched). Giants counterpart Barry Zito has now lost three in a row and sits at 1-5 with a 4.02 ERA.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

It'll be Penguins vs. Red Wings once again in the Stanley Cup final this season, with Pittsburgh looking for a better result this time around. Those two teams will meet in Detroit on Saturday night to drop the puck on the championship series, with the Wings pegged as -165 home favorites for the opener. The oddsmakers also have Detroit listed as -150 favorites to win the series, despite the injuries to star players Pavel Datsyuk (foot) and Nicklas Lidstrom (lower body). The healthy Pens swept the Canes last round, while the Wings knocked out the Hawks in five.

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**BettorsChat** · 05-30-2009, 01:44 AM

MLB Matchups

http://stats.newbodog.com/mlb/matchu...id=533013-8D8C

MLB Previews & More Trends

http://stats.newbodog.com/mlb/previe...id=533013-8D8C

MLB Hot or Not

http://stats.newbodog.com/mlb/HotAnd...id=533013-8D8C

MLB Umpires

http://stats.newbodog.com/mlb/umpire...id=533013-8D8C

Pitcher Logs

http://stats.newbodog.com/mlb/pitche...id=533013-8D8C

**Udog** · 05-30-2009, 07:27 AM

Good morning, Monte! Thank you!

**Udog** · 05-30-2009, 07:28 AM

MLB

Saturday, May 30

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Trend Report
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1:10 PM
FLORIDA vs. NY METS
Florida is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games
Florida is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
NY Mets are 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
NY Mets are 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

4:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. ARIZONA
Atlanta is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Atlanta is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Arizona
Arizona is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Arizona is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home

4:10 PM
LA DODGERS vs. CHI CUBS
LA Dodgers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chi Cubs
LA Dodgers are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 3-9 SU in their last 12 games
Chi Cubs are 11-4 SU in their last 15 games at home

4:10 PM
MINNESOTA vs. TAMPA BAY
Minnesota is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
Minnesota is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Tampa Bay is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home

7:05 PM
CINCINNATI vs. MILWAUKEE
Cincinnati is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Cincinnati is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Milwaukee is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Cincinnati
Milwaukee is 16-8 SU in its last 24 games

7:05 PM
DETROIT vs. BALTIMORE
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Baltimore
Baltimore is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Baltimore is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

7:05 PM
HOUSTON vs. PITTSBURGH
Houston is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
Houston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Houston
Pittsburgh is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing Houston

7:05 PM
NY YANKEES vs. CLEVELAND
NY Yankees are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Cleveland
NY Yankees are 8-4 SU in their last 12 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Cleveland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:05 PM
WASHINGTON vs. PHILADELPHIA
Washington is 2-13 SU in its last 15 games
Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Washington
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington

7:10 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. KANSAS CITY
Chi White Sox are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games
Chi White Sox are 4-11 SU in their last 15 games on the road
Kansas City is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chi White Sox
Kansas City is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home

8:05 PM
OAKLAND vs. TEXAS
Oakland is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
Oakland is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Texas is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Oakland
Texas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Oakland

8:10 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. COLORADO
San Diego is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Colorado
San Diego is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Colorado
Colorado is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
Colorado is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing San Diego

9:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. LA ANGELS
Seattle is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Angels
Seattle is 8-17 SU in their last 25 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
LA Angels are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games
LA Angels are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Seattle

9:05 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. SAN FRANCISCO
St. Louis is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Francisco
San Francisco is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
San Francisco is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

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**Udog** · 05-30-2009, 07:35 AM

NBA

Saturday, May 30

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Trend Report
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8:30 PM
CLEVELAND vs. ORLANDO
Cleveland is 12-5 ATS in its last 17 games
Cleveland is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Orlando is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Cleveland
Orlando is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Cleveland

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**Udog** · 05-30-2009, 07:36 AM

NBA

Saturday, May 30

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Pick 'n' Roll: Saturday's best NBA bets
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Cleveland Cavaliers at Orlando Magic (-1.5, 193)

The Cavaliers, with an NBA-best 66-win regular season, are 0-4 this season in amped-up Amway Arena - a place the Magic start fast and finish. The Cavs have been able to build big leads in Cleveland and hold on late, a luxury they likely won't get for Game 6 on Saturday night.

It is not only the biggest game in the Magic's most memorable season since the Shaquille O'Neal-Penny Hardway days, it's their best chance left to return to the NBA finals for the first time in 14 years.

The Magic don't want to go back to Cleveland for a Game 7, although coach Stan Van Gundy brushed off any notion that Orlando's last home game in the series feels like their facing elimination.

''No,'' Van Gundy said. ''I can count. I'm good at math. It's Game 6.''

The odds don't favor the Cavs.

Pick: Orlando -1.5

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**Udog** · 05-30-2009, 07:38 AM

NBA

Saturday, May 30

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Game of the Day: Cavaliers at Magic
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Cleveland Cavaliers at Orlando Magic (-1.5, 193)

All the right moves

The NBA couldn’t have scripted this any better. Down three games to one, the Cleveland Cavaliers brought the home crowd to its feet Thursday night, drawing the Eastern Conference Finals to a 3-2 margin by downing the Orlando Magic 112-102. With another astounding performance by LeBron James, Cleveland now moves the series back to Orlando for Saturday night's Game 6.

A king holding court

"It was win or go home," said LeBron James, who recorded his fourth playoff triple-double in his young career, tying him with Tim Duncan for second amongst active players (Jason Kidd leads the list with five post season triple-doubles).

James dropped 37 points, grabbed 14 boards and dished out 12 assists. It seems that 30 is the magic number for LeBron. When King James has scored 40-plus points against Orlando this series, the Cavs are 0-3. Yet, when he drops his total into the 30's both were wins.

Regardless of James’ totals, the over is now 7-1 in Cleveland's last eight conference finals games. So if you're still wary that Orlando has Cleveland's number, it's safe to say that the scoreboard will be busy. Playing the over has also proved to be successful in four of Cleveland's last five games.

Get your role on

Cleveland point guard Mo Williams had been absent in the Eastern Conference Finals. However, Thursday night brought out the best in Mo.

Entering Game 5, Williams was hitting only 32 percent from the floor and a lousy 22 percent from 3-point range. But he drained three triples in the first 4:30 of the contest and finished with 24 points (6-of-9 from 3-point land).

For the first time all series, LeBron James had a worthy sidekick. Williams isn’t Scottie Pippen or James Worthy, but the Cavs took what they had and ran with it.

"He got his teammates involved and then took over,” Orlando’s Mickael Pietrus told reporters. “That's what great players do."

Great players also average 36 points per game in the postseason. But they don't usually find their team on the brink of elimination with a 1-4 record against the odds in their last five games. Cleveland is also 1-4 ATS in its last five conference finals games.

Magic numbers

Orlando has a 9-1 record against the number in the last 10 meetings with Cleveland. Other than Thursday night's loss, the Magic had claimed the nine previous meetings against the spread. Add to the mix a 5-1 record against the spread in Orlando's last six home games.

Even with the Game 5 loss, Magic head coach, Stan Van Gundy knows his team has a very good shot at winning Saturday night.

"They deserved to get this one," Van Gundy said of the Cavs. "As poorly as I thought we played, we still were there with chances to win and didn't get it done."

Despite the over/under being 5-1 in the last six contests between the Magic and Cavs, it's the under making an impression on Orlando. It has an 1-8 over/under mark in the last nine contests following an ATS loss.

Other notables

- Underdog is 11-5 ATS in the last 16 meetings.
- Cleveland is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 Saturday games.
- Cleveland is 2-14 ATS in its last 16 games vs. Orlando.

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**Udog** · 05-30-2009, 07:40 AM

NHL

Saturday, May 30

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Ice picks: Saturday's best NHL bets
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Pittsburgh Penguins at Detroit Red Wings (-160, 5.5)

The Penguins have surged since February when coach Michel Therrien, who took them to the finals last year, was fired. Pittsburgh was in 10th place in the Eastern Conference and in danger of missing the playoffs.

Dan Bylsma, who played under Babcock in 2003 when Anaheim reached the Cup finals, was promoted from the AHL to head coach and led an 18-3-4 finish that vaulted the Penguins to the No. 4 seed.

Crosby and fellow superstar Evgeni Malkin are tied for the NHL playoff lead with 28 points. Crosby is on top with 14 goals, and Malkin is right behind him with 12.

''You dream your whole life about being in that position and you work so hard, and right at that moment you never know if you're going to get another chance,'' Crosby said of the finals loss. ''We feel pretty fortunate to get a second chance here.''

For Detroit, Pavel Datsyuk is still the biggest question mark. He practiced Friday morning, but will be a game-time decision. The Red Wings could have used more time off, but now face the prospect of playing four games in six nights and five in eight.

Pick: Pittsburgh +140

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**Udog** · 05-30-2009, 07:42 AM

NHL

Saturday, May 30

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What bettors need to know: Stanley Cup finals Game 1
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Pittsburgh Penguins at Detroit Red Wings (-160, 5.5)

In the Nick of time

The league’s most dominant defenseman will be in the lineup for Game 1. On Thursday, Nicklas Lidstrom told Red Wings GM Ken Holland that he plans on playing Saturday. Lidstrom skated on his own both Wednesday and Thursday.

Injured veterans Pavel Datsyuk and Kris Draper were back on the ice for the Red Wings. Datsyuk, who missed the last three games of the Western Conference final with a foot injury, was not skating hard.

Rookie defenseman Jonathan Ericsson could possibly be back for Game 1. He had an appendectomy on Tuesday and is recovering but didn’t skate on Friday.

No rest for the weary

For the first time since 1954 there will be a back-to-back meeting in the Stanley Cup finals. Expert opinions are mixed on consecutive games with Mike Milbury from NBC saying the Penguins clearly have the advantage while TSN’s Pierre McGuire says neither team will benefit.

Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik says it’s a huge advantage for his club.

"You want to catch them when they're beat up. I think the Anaheim series took a big toll on them. They have guys out of the lineup, and I'm sure a lot of guys that are in the lineup, probably, if it was the regular season, wouldn't be playing."

The Red Wings were 8-7 in the second half of back-to-back sets this year. The Penguins were 5-6 in the same situation.

Playing the line

The Red Wings open as a -160 favorite against the Penguins. The Wings were much larger faves in opener of their last three playoff series and won Game 1 all three times by a combined score of 12-5. Detroit has won eight of nine on home ice in the playoffs with the one loss coming in overtime to the Ducks. The over is 4-2 in the Wings’ last six and 6-2 in the Penguins’ last eight. In the past 14 head-to-head meetings the under is 10-2-2.

Puckline on the Penguins may be a good way to go in Game 1. The Penguins have won eight of their last nine and their last three losses have all been by a single goal.

Ice to see you

We should get a good idea of how the Pens plan to play against former teammate Marian Hossa. The Slovakia native bolted to Detroit after losing to the Red Wings as a member of the Penguins in last year’s final. His new coach Mike Babcock doesn’t think the storyline will affect his star forward.

"If he's mentally tough, there'll be no distraction, he made a decision to come here and he's happy with his decision. I know we're happy,” said Babcock.

Inside the numbers

- Penguins scored just 10 goals in last year’s six game Cup final against Detroit.
- Penguins were shutout in Games 1 and 2 last year in Detroit.
- Marian Hossa was in on seven of the 10 goals Pittsburgh scored in last year’s final.
- Under is 8-2 in Detroit’s last 10 against Eastern Conference opponents.
- Under is 7-2 in Pittsburgh’s last 10 against the Western Conference opponents.
- Pittsburgh is 4-10 in its last 14 against Detroit.

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**Udog** · 05-30-2009, 08:16 AM

MLB
Dunkel

St. Louis at San Francisco
The Cardinals look to bounce back from yesterday's loss and build on their 9-0 record in Chris Carpenter's last 9 starts as a road favorite between -150 and -200. St. Louis is the pick (-155) according to Dunkel, which has the Cardinals favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-155). Here are all of today's picks.

SATURDAY, MAY 30

Game 901-902: Florida at NY Mets
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Johnson) 16.505; NY Mets (Redding) 15.013
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Florida (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida (-115); Over

Game 903-904: Atlanta at Arizona
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Vazquez) 13.575; Arizona (Davis) 14.942
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-130); 9
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+120); Over

Game 905-906: LA Dodgers at Chicago Cubs
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Stults) 15.114; Cubs (Dempster) 16.009
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-130); No Run Line
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (-130); N/A

Game 907-908: Washington at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Martis) 14.675; Philadelphia (Hamels) 13.996
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-240); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+220); Under

Game 909-910: Houston at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Rodriguez) 13.611; Pittsburgh (Karstens) 13.836
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Houston (-140); 8
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+130); Over

Game 911-912: Cincinnati at Milwaukee
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Harang) 14.595; Milwaukee (Bush) 15.757
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-125); 8
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-125); Under

Game 913-914: San Diego at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Geer) 16.156; Colorado (Hammel) 15.041
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1; 11 1/2
Vegas Line: Colorado (-130); 11
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+120); Over

Game 915-916: St. Louis at San Francisco
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Carpenter) 16.696; San Francisco (Zito) 15.191
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-155); 7
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-155); Over

Game 917-918: Boston at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Penny) 14.791; Toronto (Tallet) 14.834
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: Toronto (-115); 10
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-115); Over

Game 919-920: Minnesota at Tampa Bay
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Liriano) 14.950; Tampa Bay (Price) 16.208
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-130); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-130); Under

Game 921-922: Detroit at Baltimore
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Verlander) 15.659; Baltimore (Guthrie) 14.743
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-125); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-125); Over

Game 923-924: NY Yankees at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Sabathia) 16.459; Cleveland (Carmona) 17.125
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-170); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+160); Under

Game 925-926: Chicago White Sox at Kansas City
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Buehrle) 14.697; Kansas City (Meche) 14.563
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (+105); Under

Game 927-928: Oakland at Texas
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Anderson) 15.384; Texas (McCarthy) 15.200
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Texas (-160); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+150); Under

Game 929-930: Seattle at LA Angels
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Hernandez) 16.607; LA Angels (Palmer) 14.952
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-110); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+100); Over

**Udog** · 05-30-2009, 08:19 AM

NBA
Dunkel

Cleveland at Orlando
The Cavs come off their victory in Game Five (112-102) and look to build on their 10-1-1 ATS record in their last 12 games following an ATS win. Cleveland is the pick (+2) according to Dunkel, which has the game even. Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+2). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

SATURDAY, MAY 30

Game 523-524: Cleveland at Orlando
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland 128.436; Orlando 128.852
Dunkel Line & Total: Even; 190
Vegas Line & Total: Orlando by 2; 193
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+2); Under

Announcement

Saturday Trends and Indexes 5/30 (NBA, MLB, Misc.)

Saturday Trends and Indexes 5/30 (NBA, MLB, Misc.)

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