Tuesday Trends and Indexes 6/2 (MLB, NHL, Misc.)

[Udog]

Trends and Indexes

Tuesday, June 2

Good Luck on day #153 of 2009!

At this time the sports menu in this thread consists of the NBA, NHL, and the MLB 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.

[Udog]

Daily Sports Roundup: June 2

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: Roy Halladay looks for his ninth win, Johan Santana battle the Pirates, and the Pens try to get back into the Stanley Cup final.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The Mets will send Johan Santana to the mound on Tuesday night as they continue their series in Pittsburgh. Santana has surrendered nine earned runs over his last three starts, but those outings have all been victories and the lefthander's ERA is still at 1.77 on the season. The 7-2 Santana will take on 5-4 Zach Duke in the Tuesday matchup. Lefthander Duke (2.75 ERA) took a no-decision vs. the Cubs last time out, allowing two earned runs over seven innings.

Giants ace Tim Lincecum (4-1, 3.03 ERA) will pitch on the road in Washington on Tuesday in one of seven other games on the National League slate. As well, it'll be Milwaukee at Florida, the Cubs at Atlanta, Colorado at Houston, Cincinnati at St. Louis, Philadelphia at San Diego, and Arizona at the Dodgers. Dan Haren (4-4, 2.54 ERA) goes for the D-Backs; he lost to Los Angeles back in April despite a quality start. Randy Wolf (3-1, 2.84 ERA) will try to beat Haren for a second time.

The top pitcher on tap in the American League on Tuesday is Blue Jays righthander Roy Halladay, who is at 8-1 with a 2.63 ERA through 11 outings. Halladay has allowed just three earned runs over his last two starts, but his team managed to lose both of those contests. Countering Halladay for the Angels will be lefthander Joe Saunders, who lost to the White Sox in his last start despite allowing just three earned runs in 6 2-3 innings. Saunders is 6-3 with a 3.26 ERA.

Elsewhere on the Junior Circuit docket for Tuesday it'll be Boston at Detroit, Texas at the Yankees, Kansas City at Tampa Bay, Cleveland at Minnesota, Oakland at the White Sox, and Baltimore at Seattle. Former O's ace Erik Bedard will take the mound for the M's on Tuesday night; Bedard went 6 2-3 innings against the Athletics in his last start, giving up just one earned run on five hits. David Hernandez pitches for Baltimore; the righthander won his debut last week.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

The Stanley Cup final shifts to Pittsburgh on Tuesday night, with the Penguins desperate to grab a victory at home and avoid a 3-0 series deficit. The Pens were defeated 3-1 by the Red Wings in Detroit for the second straight game on Sunday, with Sidney Crosby held pointless and Evgeni Malkin limited to a goal and 19 minutes in penalties. Jonathan Ericsson, Valtteri Filppula, and Justin Abdelkader had the Wings' markers, while Pavel Datsyuk missed another game due to injury. Wings netminder Chris Osgood stopped 31 of 32 Pittsburgh shots. Game 4 of the series, which could end with the Cup awarded, will be Thursday.

[Udog]

Tuesday six-pack

If there was any doubt the Bronx Bombers are the most arrogant, self-absorbed franchise in sports, check out this online auction that is posted on mlb.com........here are some of the items up for bid.....

-- For a No Smoking sign from the old ballpark in the Bronx: $210
I'd like to meet the person who buys this sign for $210.

-- A Yogi Berra signed baseball: $410. Guaranteed, I can drive to New Jersey, find Yogi's house and have him sign a ball for less than $410.

-- A spring training game-used Mark Teixeira hat: $350 Hats sell for $31 or so, so you're shelling out $319 for Teixeira's sweat.

-- The third base used in Cub-Bronx exhibition game April 4: $610-- I'm thinking, how do we know this was really 3rd base, not 2nd?

-- Meet-and-greet with Joba Chamberlain: $460-- I would definitely have paid $460 to hang out with Wilt Chamberlain, but Joba? Um, no.

-- A lineup card from a game vs Minnesota last July, signed by Alex Rodriguez, yours for only $1,499.99-- For $1,500, I'd rather hang out with ARod's stripper friend from Toronto.

These are real online prices. $210 for a No Smoking sign. Yikes.


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

13) Cleveland Browns coach Eric Mangini has a football camp for some underprivileged kids in Connecticut; for some bizarre reason, he had his Cleveland rookies ride a bus for 10 hours to get to the camp and work at it, while he and his coaches flew to the camp. Not surprisingly, rookies weren't too happy about this. Way to get off on the right foot, coach.

12) Cal-Irvine trailed Virginia 2-1 in top of 6th late Sunday night, when they pulled an odd defensive move; with a runner at third and one out, Irvine used five infielders, with the CF playing behind second base. Sure enough, batter hit the ball right to the extra fielder, who got a key out. In all my years, have never seen five infielders used in that situation before.

11) SEC football teams have agreed to limit themselves to signing 28 new recruits a year; Ole Miss signed 37 kids this spring. Considering that 85 scholarships per school is the limit, that means their other four classes (college football teams generally redshirt all their freshmen, so they have five classes of players on scholarship) that leaves 12 players a year for the other four classes with the Rebels.

10) The more college baseball I see, the more I like it, although coaches have to get a grip on butchering their pitchers. Letting the Wood kid on Texas throw 169 pitches the other night wasn't exactly great coaching.

9) Tim Clark lost to Steve Stricker in a playoff at Colonial Sunday, his 7th second-place finish on Tour without a win. He hit the flag with his approach on the second playoff hole, and still lost the hole. Still, hard to feel to bad for a guy who cashed a check for half a million this week.

8) When Nick Saban coached the Dolphins, he had first shot at signing Drew Brees but passed, wary of Brees' surgically-repaired shoulder that he hurt playing for the Chargers. You can easily make the point that the Saints signing Brees is the best thing thats happened to Alabama football in quite some time, seeing as how it led to Saban bolting Miami quickly, and re-vitalizing the Crimson Tide program.

7) There was a rumor my Rans were interested in Michael Vick, but no way, and here's why; remember when the St Louis Blues hockey team played in an arena called the Checkerdome? It was called that because the Ralston-Purina pet food company is in St Louis, so doubtful that a city where dogfood is a big industry would be anxious to employ Vick.

6) Phillies have played in eight three-game series this season where they split the first two games; the road team won Game 3 in all seven series.

5) Washington Nationals are 2-0 in the second game of a series if they won the first game; they're 2-12 in second game if they lost the opener.

4) Brutal start to road trip for the Mets, who blew a 5-0 lead to Pirates and lost 8-5 at PNC. Its games like this that rear their ugly head late in the season in a close pennant race. JJ Putz gave up five straight hits in the 8th inning, as Pittsburgh rallied for the upset win.

3) There is a kid pitching for Astros' AAA team named Bazardo who is 6-2, 2.58 in eight starts at Round Rock; this makes him interesting guy to follow as far as my fantasy team goes, but then I look at his record in 2008 and I see this: also in AAA, 4-13, 6.72 in 22 starts, when batters hit .340 against him for the season. Now they're hitting .210; go figure.

2) Whats up with the White Sox? First Jake Peavy turned down a trade to South Side, now Roy Oswalt has, too. AL Central is wide open, so White Sox are still contenders. Maybe pitchers are wising up and want to stay where there is no DH, and the ERAs are a little lower.

1) Rough few days in Cleveland, with Cavaliers getting beat by Magic in the NBA playoffs, then woeful Indians losing three of four to Bronx and then of course, Mangini's odd treatment of his rookies with the Browns, who are the most beloved team in Cleveland. If you know someone from the Buckeye State, give them a hug today.

[Udog]

Baseball Today

SCOREBOARD

Tuesday, June 2

Boston at Detroit (7:05 p.m. EDT). Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-3) tries again to find the form that led to 18 wins last season. He'll go against dazzling Tigers rookie Rick Porcello (6-3).

STARS

Monday

-Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, Phillies, hit consecutive home runs in the fifth inning to lead Philadelphia to a 5-3 victory at San Diego.

-Roy Oswalt, Astros, had a season-high eight strikeouts over seven solid innings in Houston's 4-1 win over Colorado.

-Hanley Ramirez, Marlins, had three hits and scored twice to help Florida beat Milwaukee 7-4.

-Jim Thome, White Sox, hit his 550th career homer in Chicago's 6-2 victory over Oakland.

-Joba Chamberlain, Yankees, allowed two runs in a career-high eight innings to help New York beat Cleveland 5-2.

-Francisco Cordero, Reds, pitched a scoreless ninth inning in Cincinnati's 5-3 victory over St. Louis, earning his 14th save in 14 chances and 28th in a row dating to last July.

-Rich Hill, Orioles, threw seven sharp innings to lead Baltimore to a 1-0 win over Seattle.

-Andy LaRoche, Pirates, drove in three runs as Pittsburgh rallied to beat the New York Mets 8-5.

-Billy Buckner, Diamondbacks, tossed six scoreless innings and Arizona beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2.

THAT FAMILIAR FEELING

Adam Jones and George Sherrill came up big against their former team, helping the Baltimore Orioles beat the Seattle Mariners 1-0. Jones doubled and scored the only run, and Sherrill earned his 11th save in 13 chances. The Orioles sent former ace Erik Bedard to the Mariners for top outfield prospect Jones, reliever Sherrill and three other players in 2008.

NICELY DONE

The New York Yankees played error free for the 18th straight game in a 5-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians, surpassing Boston's major league mark of 17 set in 2006. New York's last error came on May 13 at Toronto when shortstop Ramiro Pena misplayed a groundball.

NICE RALLY

The Pittsburgh Pirates scored five runs in the eighth inning to beat the New York Mets 8-5 on Monday night. Adam LaRoche and Jack Wilson had three hits apiece for Pittsburgh, which came back from a 5-0 deficit to win for only the second time in six games. ... Hanley Ramirez and Jeremy Hermida had RBI singles in Florida's five-run sixth inning and the Marlins rallied to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-4 in Miami.

SPEAKING

"One of the finest young pitchers in our game and he leaves after one inning and the bullpen's got to pitch eight. I mean, that's a great opportunity for us.'' - St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa after Cincinnati's Edinson Volquez could only go one inning due to numbness in two fingers on his pitching hand in the Reds' 5-3 victory.

SEASONS

June 2

1928 - Les Bell of the Boston Braves hit three home runs and a triple at Braves Field, but the Cincinnati Reds came away with a 20-12 triumph.

1928 - The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1. All the runs came from three pinch-hit home runs.

1941 - Lou Gehrig died in New York at age 37.

1949 - The Philadelphia Phillies hit five homers in the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds. Andy Seminick hit two and Del Ennis, Willie Jones and Schoolboy Rowe hit one apiece. Seminick had homered earlier in the game.

1959 - The Baltimore Orioles-Chicago White Sox game at Comiskey Park was delayed for nearly half an hour as a swarm of gnats overcame the field. Groundskeepers tried using bug sprays and torches, but the gnats wouldn't budge. A postgame fireworks display was brought in from center field and a smoke bomb was attached to the framework. The gnats left and the Orioles defeated the White Sox, 3-2.

1990 - Randy Johnson pitched the first no-hitter in Seattle Mariners' history as he beat the Detroit Tigers 2-0. The 6-foot-10 left-hander, walked six and struck out eight while pitching the first no-hitter at the Kingdome, which opened for baseball in 1977.

1996 - Houston starter Darryl Kile tied the modern major league record by hitting four batters in St. Louis, and the first to do it in the NL since Moe Drabowsky in 1957.

2000 - Tampa Bay's Fred McGriff hit his 400th career home run, but the Devil Rays lost to the Mets 5-3.

2000 - Rick Aguilera of the Chicago Cubs became the 13th pitcher with 300 saves in a 2-0 win over Detroit. Aguilera reached the mark in 614 career appearances, third quickest.

2002 - Philadelphia pitcher Robert Person drove in seven runs with a grand slam and a three-run homer in an 18-3 win over Montreal. Person had just come off the disabled list and collected his first win of the season.

2005 - Kansas City completed a sweep of the New York Yankees with a 5-2 victory. The Royals, who have the worst record and second-lowest payroll in the major leagues, finished their first three-game sweep of the Yankees at home in 15 years.

Today's birthdays: Jared Burton 28; Raul Ibanez 37.

[Udog]

MLB


Tuesday, June 2

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This Day in Baseball
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On June 2 in Baseball History...

1935 - Babe Ruth announces his retirement as a player at age 40.

1941 - New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig dies of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at age 37 in New York. From that time on, the illness is known primarily as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

1942 - Red Sox star Ted Williams enlists as a Navy aviator. He will finish the season with his team, as will many other players who enlist or await draft. Among A.L. regulars of 1941 who are now in the service: Johnny Rigney, Joe Grace, Johnny Berardino, Cecil Travis, Bob Feller, Pat Mullin, Buddy Lewis, Sam Chapman, and Johnny Sturm.

1958 - Yankees pitcher Whitey Ford fans six in a row to tie an A.L. record as he shuts out the White Sox 3-0.

1987 - The Mariners select Cincinnati high schooler Ken Griffey, Jr., the son of Braves outfielder Ken Griffey, with the first overall pick in the free-agent draft.

1990 - Seattle's Randy Johnson, at six feet ten inches the tallest pitcher in major-league history, pitches the first Mariners' no-hitter, a 2-0 win over the Tigers. He walks six and strikes out eight.

1995 - John Valentin hits three home runs and has five hits in Boston's 6-3 win over the Mariners. His 15 total bases are a season high.


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[Udog]

MLB
Dunkel


Cleveland at Minnesota
The Twins look to build on their 7-0 record in Kevin Slowey's last 7 home starts when the total is set between 9 and 10 1/2 runs. Minnesota is the pick (-155) according to Dunkel, which has the Twins favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-155). Here are all of today's picks.

TUESDAY, JUNE 2

Game 951-952: NY Mets at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Santana) 14.846; Pittsburgh (Duke) 14.098
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-185); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-185); Over

Game 953-954: San Francisco at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Lincecum) 14.342; Washington (Stammen) 14.472
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-145); 8
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+135); Under

Game 955-956: Chicago Cubs at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Wells) 14.813; Atlanta (Kawakami) 15.891
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-125); 9
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-125); Under

Game 957-958: Milwaukee at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Parra) 16.390; Florida (Sanchez) 15.257
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 959-960: Colorado at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Jimenez) 14.175; Houston (Paulino) 15.514
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Colorado (-130); 9
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+120); Under

Game 961-962: Cincinnati at St. Louis
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Arroyo) 15.253; St. Louis (Thompson) 16.486
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 963-964: Philadelphia at San Diego
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Bastardo) 14.588; San Diego (Peavy) 16.148
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: San Diego (-200); 7
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-200); Under

Game 965-966: Arizona at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Haren) 15.240; LA Dodgers (Wolf) 14.695
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-125); 8
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+115); Over

Game 967-968: Boston at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Matsuzaka) 16.719; Detroit (Porcello) 15.642
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Detroit (-135); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (+125); Over

Game 969-970: Texas at NY Yankees
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Padilla) 16.943; NY Yankees (Burnett) 16.634
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1/2; 11 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-175); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas (+165); Over

Game 971-972: LA Angels at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Saunders) 14.144; Toronto (Halladay) 14.907
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Toronto (-170); 8
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-170); Under

Game 973-974: Kansas City at Tampa Bay
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Davies) 14.477; Tampa Bay (Sonnastine) 14.597
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-150); 10
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-150); Over

Game 975-976: Cleveland at Minnesota
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Huff) 14.950; Minnesota (Slowey) 16.660
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-155); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-155); Under

Game 977-978: Oakland at Chicago White Sox
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Mazzaro) 15.355; White Sox (Colon) 15.069
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 979-980: Baltimore at Seattle
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Hernandez) 15.035; Seattle (Bedard) 16.139
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Seattle (-155); 8
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-155); Over

[Udog]

MLB
Write-Up


Tuesday, June 2

Hot Pitchers
-- Santana is 3-0, 5.40 in his last three starts (Mets 21 runs).
-- Lincecum has 2.57 RA in his last four road starts.
-- Wells has 1.80 RA in four starts, but no wins.
-- Arroyo is 2-1, 1.88 in his last three starts.
-- Peavy is 3-0, 2.11 in his last three starts.
-- Haren is 4-1, 2.78 in his last eight starts. Wolf is 2-0, 2.35 in his last six starts.

-- Porcello is 5-0, 1.50 in his last five starts.
-- Padilla was 2-0, 1.96 in his last three starts being going on the DL.
-- Saunders is 4-1, 4.50 in five road starts this season. Halladay is 3-0, 1.66 in his last five starts (Toronto bullpen lost last two).
-- Slowey is 3-0, 2.73 in his last four starts.
-- Former Oriole Bedard has a 2.31 RA in his last four starts. Rookie Hernandez beat Detroit in first start (one run in 5.2 IP).

Cold Pitchers
-- Duke has 2.68 RA in his last seven starts, but Pirates are 0-5 in Duke starts if they score less than seven runs.
-- Stammen is 0-1, 5.56 in his first two big leagure starts.
-- Kawakami is 2-6, 5.56 in his last eight starts.
-- Parra has a 6.95 RA in his last four starts. Sanchez comes off DL to start; he is 0-4, 7.89 in his last four starts.
-- Thompson is making first '09 start; he is 19-12, 4.34 in his big league career; this is his 25th career start.
-- Rockies lost last five Jimenez road starts (0-4, 5.46). Astros are 0-6 when Paulino starts (0-4, 6.27).
-- Bastardo was 3-2, 1.89 in seven minor league starts this year.

-- Matsuzaka is 0-3, 8.82 in his last four starts.
-- Burnett is 0-1, 4.78 in five home starts this season.
-- Davies is 0-3, 6.27 in his last three starts. Sonnanstine is 2-2, 11.34 in his last four starts.
-- Huff is 0-1, 10.97 in three starts this season.
-- Colon is 0-2, 18.90 in his last two home starts. Mazzaro makes first big league start here; he was 2-2, 2.38 in nine AAA starts this year.

Hot Teams
-- Mets won five of their last seven games, but are 2-6 in last eight road contests.
-- Giants won five of last six games, but lost five of last six on road.
-- Brewers won three of last four games, but lost four in row on road.
-- Rockies are 5-1 in second game of road series if they lose the opener. Astros won three of their last four games.
-- Phillies won nine of their last eleven road games.
-- Arizona won seven of its last nine road games.

-- Tigers are 10-3 in their last thirteen home games.
-- Bronx won eight of their last ten home games. Rangers won seven of their last ten games.
-- Rays won seven of their last ten home games.
-- Angels won five of their last seven road games.
-- White Sox won nine of their last twelve games.
-- Orioles won seven of their last ten games.

Cold Teams
-- Pirates lost seven of their last eleven games.
-- Nationals were 0-6 last week, outscored 36-19.
-- Braves lost five of their last seven games. Cubs lost eight of their last nine road games.
-- Marlins lost 13 of their last 18 home games.
-- Cincinnati lost six its last seven road games. Cardinals lost three of their last four games, but are 5-2 in last seven at home.
-- Padres lost three of last four games, but are 10-1 in last 11 at Petco.
-- Dodgers are 5-6 in last 11 home games after a 13-0 start.

-- Red Sox lost eight of last twelve road games.
-- Blue Jays lost 10 of last 12 games, but are 6-2 in last eight at home.
-- Royals lost their last four games, allowing 31 runs.
-- Indians lost three of their last four games. Twins lost three of their last four games, but are 8-2 in their last ten at home.
-- Oakland lost nine of its last twelve road games.
-- Mariners are 5-8 in their last thirteen home games.

Totals
-- Under is 5-2-1 in Mets' last eight road games.
-- Seven of last nine San Francisco road games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last seven Chicago road games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 7-1-1 in Florida's last nine home games.
-- Last four Colorado road games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Cincinnati games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 5-1-1 in Phillies' last seven road games.
-- Four of last five Arizona road games stayed under the total.

-- Five of last six Boston road games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 7-3 in last ten games in the Bronx.
-- Four of last five Angel games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last eight Kansas City road games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Cleveland games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 9-2 in White Sox' last eleven home games.
-- Four of last five Oriole games stayed under the total.

[Udog]

MLB


Tuesday, June 2

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Trend Report
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7:05 PM
BOSTON vs. DETROIT
Boston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
Detroit is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games

7:05 PM
NY METS vs. PITTSBURGH
NY Mets are 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
NY Mets are 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing NY Mets
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Pittsburgh's last 17 games when playing NY Mets

7:05 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. WASHINGTON
San Francisco is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco's last 6 games when playing Washington
Washington is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Washington's last 12 games at home

7:05 PM
TEXAS vs. NY YANKEES
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Texas's last 9 games on the road
Texas is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing NY Yankees
NY Yankees are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of NY Yankees's last 10 games

7:07 PM
LA ANGELS vs. TORONTO
LA Angels are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Angels's last 5 games
Toronto is 9-4 SU in their last 13 games when playing at home against LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing at home against LA Angels

7:08 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. TAMPA BAY
Kansas City is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Kansas City is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Tampa Bay is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games when playing Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing Kansas City

7:10 PM
CHI CUBS vs. ATLANTA
Chi Cubs are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:10 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. FLORIDA
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Milwaukee's last 17 games when playing Florida
Milwaukee is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Florida is 7-14 SU in its last 21 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida's last 7 games

8:00 PM
COLORADO vs. HOUSTON
Colorado is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Colorado's last 23 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games when playing at home against Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Houston's last 23 games when playing at home against Colorado

8:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games
Cleveland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Minnesota's last 10 games when playing Cleveland

8:11 PM
OAKLAND vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Oakland is 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Oakland's last 14 games when playing Chi White Sox
Chi White Sox are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Chi White Sox's last 10 games

8:15 PM
CINCINNATI vs. ST. LOUIS
Cincinnati is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of St. Louis's last 8 games when playing Cincinnati
St. Louis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Cincinnati

10:05 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. SAN DIEGO
Philadelphia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Philadelphia is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games on the road
San Diego is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
San Diego is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games

10:10 PM
ARIZONA vs. LA DODGERS
Arizona is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Arizona is 2-9 SU in their last 11 games when playing LA Dodgers
LA Dodgers are 9-2 SU in their last 11 games when playing Arizona
LA Dodgers are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games when playing at home against Arizona

10:10 PM
BALTIMORE vs. SEATTLE
Baltimore is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
Baltimore is 6-15 SU in its last 21 games on the road
Seattle is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Baltimore
Seattle is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Baltimore


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[Udog]

NHL
Dunkel


Detroit at Pittsburgh
The Penguins look to get back into the series and take advantage of Detroit's 0-4 record in its last 4 games as a road underdog. Pittsburgh is the pick (-150) according to Dunkel, which has the Penguins favored by 1/2 a goal. Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-150). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

TUESDAY, JUNE 2

Game 5-6: Detroit at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 13.793; Pittsburgh 14.320
Dunkel Line & Total: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Pittsburgh (-150); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-150); Over

[Udog]

NHL
Long Sheet


Tuesday, June 2

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DETROIT (65-23-0-12, 142 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (57-34-0-10, 124 pts.) - 6/2/2009, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 8-3 (+2.1 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 8-3-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+5.0 Units)

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[Udog]

NHL
Short Sheet


Tuesday, June 2nd

Stanley Cup Finals
Game Three
Detroit Leads, 2-0
Detroit at Pittsburgh, 8:05 ET

Detroit:
3-8 SU Away off 3+ home wins
14-3 Over off BB Unders

Pittsburgh:
9-1 SU playing with triple revenge
20-8 SU off BB losses

[Udog]

NHL
Write-Up


Tuesday, June 2

NHL Playoffs

Red Wings are 7-2-1 in last ten games vs Pittsburgh, 3-0-1 this season, outscoring Penguins 15-9, with first two games of this series both 3-1 in Detroit's favor. Red Wings won nine of last 11 games overall. Teams that won first two series games in this year's playoffs are 4-6 in Game 3; this is where Penguins have to make a stand- teams don't come back from 3-0 deficits in playoff hockey. Pittsburgh is 6-2 at home in playoffs; Wings are 4-3 on the road in the playoffs. Bigger game for Penguins tonight.

[Udog]

NHL


Tuesday, June 2

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
DETROIT vs. PITTSBURGH
Detroit is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games
Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Pittsburgh's last 12 games when playing Detroit


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[Udog]

NHL


Tuesday, June 2

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Ice picks: Tuesday's best NHL bets
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Detroit Red Wings at Pittsburgh Penguins (-150, 5.5)

Sidney Crosby was nowhere to be found, hidden from sight before the Pittsburgh Penguins play the game that likely will tell them if they have any chance of overtaking the Detroit Red Wings and winning the Stanley Cup.

At the rink? Sorry, no Crosby sighting there as the Penguins rested Monday after losing two games in two nights in Detroit, putting themselves into a deep, deep hole from which only one of 32 teams has previously escaped during the finals.

Doing interviews? Nope, it was a rare Crosby-free day for reporters curious to find out if being shut out on consecutive nights frustrated or, conversely, further motivated the NHL's most visible player going into Game 3 on Tuesday night.

"Every day doesn't need to be Sidney Crosby day," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said of keeping his captain away from probing minds.

Oh, but every day is Crosby day for the Red Wings. Their twin 3-1 victories in Detroit on Saturday and Sunday were created in part by the blanketing defense of Henrik Zetterberg, who has stayed so close to Crosby during the finals that he probably knew where Sid the Kid was hiding out during Pittsburgh's day off.

Zetterberg went over the boards for all but one of Crosby's shifts in Joe Louis Arena, holding him scoreless and creating some visible frustration as the Red Wings closed to within two victories of winning their fifth Stanley Cup since 1997.

Me and my shadow, indeed.

"I've been in different roles, different situations and this one is a pure challenge and it's fun," Zetterberg said.

The question is whether the fun stops for the player known simply as Z by his Red Wings teammates once the venue changes Tuesday night. The Penguins can make the final line change at home, and Bylsma won't have to be as concerned with Zetterberg hitting the ice a moment after Crosby does.

Crosby didn't score in consecutive playoff games for the first time since Games 1 and 2 of the finals against Detroit last season, but he wasn't invisible. Crosby hit the inside of a post among five shots in Game 2, and he had enough scoring chances to worry Mike Babcock, especially now that the Red Wings coach must be creative to pair Zetterberg and defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom against Crosby.

"They're going to make it hard for us," Babcock said. "We're going to do what we can. We've won a lot of games this year on the road and we did it because we're willing to move people around and have good balance and come at teams."

The Red Wings know they'll see plenty of Crosby and playoffs scoring leader Evgeni Malkin, and a lot of desperation, as the Penguins try to avoid going down 3-0 to the defending champs - a loss that would likely make the rest of the finals a mere formality.

The Penguins' task is hard enough; of the 32 teams to previously win the first two games 2 on home ice, 31 won the Stanley Cup. Only Chicago failed, against Montreal in 1971.

"Hey, crazier things have happened," forward Bill Guerin said.

Pittsburgh pulled off a 2-0 comeback earlier this spring, rallying to beat the Washington Capitals in seven games despite losing Game 6 at home. But the Capitals lacked the depth, maturity, goaltending and playoff know-how of the Red Wings, who may be even better than the team that took out Pittsburgh in six games last spring.

Detroit, for example, got insurance goals in each of the first two games from rookie Justin Abdelkader, who spent all but two games this season in the minors, while defenseman Jonathan Ericsson had the pivotal goal in Game 2 only a few days after having his appendix removed.

Hart Trophy finalist Pavel Datsyuk has missed five games with an injured foot and, still limping around the rink, doesn't look close to being ready to play. So far it hasn't mattered, and Detroit's goal is to keep it that way.

"The Zetterberg line is doing a phenomenal job against Sid and we try to do the same thing against Malkin," Marian Hossa said. "They're dangerous players, they're getting great chances and but we try to eliminate them."

Hossa, perhaps better than any of his teammates, knows what awaits the Red Wings in Pittsburgh. Hossa surprised the Penguins last summer by turning down a $49 million, seven-year offer to stay in Pittsburgh and instead signed with Detroit for $7.5 million and one season, saying the Red Wings offered the best chance of winning the Stanley Cup.

So far, it looks like he's made the right decision, which should further anger the fans who booed him whenever he stepped onto the ice during Detroit's 3-0 win in Pittsburgh on Feb. 8.

"It's going to be loud in Pittsburgh," Hossa said. "They show you what they think. ... Nothing is going to change on my part. I just try to use it to my advantage, that booing, (and) play my game."

The Penguins know they can't keep playing Detroit's game and hope to succeed, but they're confident that going home will help them slip more pucks behind Chris Osgood. They also hope it steadies goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who was shaky in Game 1 and was beaten by a long, knuckleball-like shot by Abdelkader in Game 2.

To win, Pittsburgh probably needs contributions from someone other than Malkin (1 goal, 1 assist), who displayed some of his frustration by fighting with Zetterberg late in Game 2. Similarly, Crosby flashed his discontent by ramming his stick into Kirk Malby after Game 1. Now, in so desperate a situation, the Penguins need their stars to score, not to scrap.

They also aren't getting any offense from center Jordan Staal's third line or from Chris Kunitz, who plays alongside Crosby yet has only one goal in 24 games. That won't get it done against these fast-rolling Detroit wheels.

"I don't think we should be frustrated," defenseman Sergei Gonchar said. "I don't think we are frustrated because the series is not over."

Lose Tuesday, and it might be.

Pick: Over


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[Udog]

NHL


Tuesday, June 2

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What bettors need to know: Stanley Cup finals Game 3
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Detroit Red Wings at Pittsburgh Penguins (-150, 5.5)

Malkin will play in Game 3

Evgeni Malkin will be in the lineup despite instigating a fight with Henrik Zetterberg in the final 19 seconds of Game 2. Colin Campell, the NHL’s Director of Hockey Operations, rescinded the automatic one-game suspension.

"None of the criteria in this rule applied in this situation. Suspensions are applied under this rule when a team attempts to send a message in the last five minutes by having a player instigate a fight,” explained Campbell.

Earlier in the playoffs Campbell issued a not so stern warning: “General Managers and coaches of playoff teams have been told we would not tolerate attempts by clubs to 'send a message' late in a game when the outcome had been determined, organizations, players and coaches will be held accountable for such actions."

Now, if it were a lesser player - like say Matt Cooke - initiating a scrap in the final minute, would there be any question about a possible suspension?

Wings not flying yet

The Red Wings have a 2-0 series lead and have held one of the league’s deadliest offenses to just a pair of goals. Detroit players still feel they can improve their game.

“I still think we can play a lot better, if we can minimize our mistakes, I think it will help us and when they get odd man rushes. They get a lot of momentum and speed,” said Zetterberg.

Brian Raflaski agrees with Zetterberg that the Wings have to play better as things shift to Pittsburgh. The pint-sized blueliner says the only difference so far is that they have been able to capitalize on their bounces while the Penguins haven’t.

Chris Os-great

Wings netminder Chris Osgood has been spectacular through the first two games of the Cup Final. Osgood’s number are some of the best ever seen in the NHL postseason.

He’s stopped 62 of the 64 shots from Crosby & Company, improving his already eye popping playoff stats (.930 save percentage and 1.95 goals against average). Osgood’s teammates never lost confidence in the three-time Stanley Cup champion despite his struggles through the regular season.

"We had no doubts whatsoever he was the guy for us," Niklas Kronwall said. "He's showing why he's a Hall of Fame goalie. It’s nice to know that he is going to come up with the saves at the times when you really need it."

Calling Sidney...where are you?

If the Penguins have any hope of coming back from a 2-0 deficit their captain needs to step up and deliver. Sidney Crosby has no points and seven shots through along with a -1 plus/minus rating in the first two games. The shift back to the Igloo should help free him up a little, with the last change allowing the Pens to keep Crosby away from Henrik Zetterberg’s line.

Rafalski and Nicklas Lidstrom have had the task of shutting him down so far and they know it will be difficult in Games 3 and 4.

"They're going to have the last change. So we'll be playing different match-ups and will have to be sharp,” said Rafalski after Game 2.

Datsyuk watch continues

Mike Babcock says the status of Hart Trophy Candidate Pavel Datsyuk is still up in the air.

“We'll re-evaluate Datsyuk the morning of Game 3, but obviously being up 2-0, you know, that buys us a couple of extra days if we need it,” Babcock told reporters Monday morning.

It appears as though Kris Draper is ready to go, but Babcock says with a 2-0 lead and the fourth line playing so well, there is really no read to rush him back.

Stacked odds

The Wings haven’t won a game in this series away from their home rink, but history tells us they’ve already put this baby to bed.

There have been 32 cases of teams jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the Cup finals and only once did a trailing club climb out of the hole to lift Lord Stanley’s Grail.


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