Monday Trends and Indexes 4/5 (NCAAB, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

[Udog]

NHL
Dunkel


Columbus at St. Louis
The Blues look to build on their 8-1 record in their last 9 games against teams with a losing record. St. Louis is the pick (-175) according to Dunkel, which has the Blues favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-175). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, APRIL 5

Game 1-2: Boston at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 11.679; Washington 12.463
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 1; 7
Vegas Line & Total: Washington (-140); 6
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-140); Over

Game 3-4: Columbus at St. Louis
Dunkel Ratings: Columbus 11.222; St. Louis 12.852
Dunkel Line & Total: St. Louis by 1 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: St. Louis (-175); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-175); Under

Game 5-6: Minnesota at Edmonton
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 10.884; Edmonton 10.768
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota (-120); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-120); Over

[Udog]

MLB
Dunkel


Toronto at Texas
The Rangers look to build on their 5-1 record in Scott Feldman's last 6 starts as a favorite of -110 to -150. Texas is the pick (-140) according to Dunkel, which has the Rangers favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Texas (-140). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, APRIL 5

Game 901-902: Philadelphia at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Halladay) 15.560; Washington (Lannan) 14.464
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-200); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-200); Over

Game 903-904: Florida at NY Mets
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Johnson) 15.127; NY Mets (Santana) 16.131
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-120); 7
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-120); Under

Game 905-906: St. Louis at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Carpenter) 15.249; Cincinnati (Harang) 15.579
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-145); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (+125); Over

Game 907-908: LA Dodgers at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Padilla) 14.922; Pittsburgh (Duke) 15.065
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-140); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+120); Over

Game 909-910: Colorado at Milwaukee
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Jimenez) 14.980; Milwaukee (Gallardo) 15.285
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-125); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-125); Over

Game 911-912: Chicago Cubs at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago Cubs (Zambrano) 13.946; Atlanta 14.567
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-130); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-130); Under

Game 913-914: San Diego at Arizona
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Garland) 14.424; Arizona (Haren) 15.939
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Arizona (-185); 8
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-185); Under

Game 915-916: San Francisco at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Lincecum) 14.214; Houston (Oswalt) 15.139
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1; 6
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-130); 7
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+110); Under

Game 917-918: Cleveland at Chicago White Sox
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Westbrook) 14.510; White Sox (Buehrle) 14.399
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-165); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+145); Over

Game 919-920: Toronto at Texas
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Marcum) 15.380; Texas (Feldman) 16.661
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Texas (-140); 9
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-140); Over

Game 921-922: Detroit at Kansas City
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Verlander) 14.585; Kansas City (Greinke) 16.084
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-115); 7
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (-115); Over

Game 923-924: Minnesota at LA Angels
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Baker) 16.381; LA Angels (Weaver) 16.245
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-130); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+110); Over

Game 925-926: Seattle at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Hernandez) 14.922; Oakland (Sheets) 15.726
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Seattle (-125); 7
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+105); Over

[Udog]

NHL
Short Sheet


Monday, 4/5/2010

BOSTON at WASHINGTON, 7:05 PM ET VERSUS
BOSTON: 6-15 SU after allowing 1 or 0 goals
WASHINGTON: 9-1 SU off BB Unders

COLUMBUS at ST LOUIS, 8:05 PM ET
COLUMBUS: 0-10 SU off 3+ Unders
ST LOUIS: 10-4 SU off a home win by 1 goal

MINNESOTA at EDMONTON, 9:35 PM ET
MINNESOTA: 12-27 SU in road games
EDMONTON: 7-1 Under off 3+ road losses

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

[Udog]

MLB
Short Sheet


Monday, 4/5/2010

PHILADELPHIA at WASHINGTON, 1:05 PM ET
HALLADAY: Philadelphia 27-9 SU vs. Washington
LANNAN: 18-4 Under as an underdog

FLORIDA at NY METS, 1:10 PM ET
JOHNSON: 10-2 TSR with a line of -125 to +125
SANTANA: Mets 31-16 Under as a favorite of -150 or less

ST LOUIS at CINCINNATI, 1:10 PM ET ESPN
CARPENTER: 39-22 TSR away in the first half of the season
HARANG: 10-3 Under as a home underdog of +125 or higher

LA DODGERS at PITTSBURGH, 1:35 PM ET
PADILLA: 9-1 TSR in day games
DUKE: 7-2 Over in April

COLORADO at MILWAUKEE, 2:10 PM ET
JIMENEZ: Colorado 31-11 SU vs. NL Central opponents
GALLARDO: 13-3 Under in day games

CHICAGO CUBS at ATLANTA, 4:10 PM ET ESPN
ZAMBRANO: Cubs 8-27 SU as an underdog of +150 or less
LOWE: 8-3 TSR in April

SAN DIEGO at ARIZONA, 5:10 PM ET
GARLAND: San Diego 24-51 SU away in the first half of the season
HAREN: 8-3 TSR vs. San Diego

SAN FRANCISCO at HOUSTON, 7:05 PM ET ESPN2
LINCECUM: 16-8 Over as a road favorite
OSWALT: 8-0 TSR vs. NL West opponents

CLEVELAND at CHI WHITE SOX, 2:05 PM ET ESPN2
WESTBROOK: 8-17 TSR in April
BUEHRLE: 17-7 TSR as a favorite of -125 to -175

TORONTO at TEXAS, 2:05 PM ET
MARCUM: 1-6 TSR vs. AL West opponents
FELDMAN: 12-1 Under vs. AL East opponents

DETROIT at KANSAS CITY, 4:10 PM ET
VERLANDER: Detroit 9-23 SU as a road underdog of +150 or less
GREINKE: 9-1 TSR in April

MINNESOTA at LA ANGELS, 10:05 PM ET ESPN2
BAKER: Minnesota 27-11 Under away in the first half of the season
WEAVER: 11-1 TSR at home with a line of +125 to -125

SEATTLE at OAKLAND, 10:05 PM ET
HERNANDEZ: 13-4 TSR with a line of +125 to -125
SHEETS: 17-5 Under as a home underdog of +125 or less

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

[Udog]

NCAAB
Write-Up


Monday, April 5

National championship game

Since 1985, seeds lower than 4 playing in national title game are 2-3 in finals, losing the last three (Michigan '92/Florida '00/Indiana '02), after '85 Villanova/'88 Kansas posted upset wins. This is only second time in last eight years a 1-seed is playing non-1-seed in final-- since 1990, a #1 seed is 9-1 SU (7-3 vs spread) against a non-#1 seed ('97 Arizona over Kentucky). Duke is 3-4 in national finals under Coach K; this is their first appearance in the national championship game since 2001.

Butler won its last 24 games, last losing Dec 22; their opponents shoot 31.8% from arc (61st in country), a critical stat in this game, since Duke was 13-26 from arc vs West Virginia and makes 38.7% from arc for the season. If Duke goes off behind the arc, Butler has no shot, but Bulldogs are giving up just 55.2 ppg in this tournament-- they'll defend well. So big question becomes, can they match Duke's physical play, as Howard has concussion and may not play. Mack is OK to play.

When teams lose in semis, their fans sell their tickets and go home; who do you think is buying up those tickets? Butler fans, thats who; this is going to be road game for Duke, but they're used to being the bad guy on the road. Duke isn't the best team in the country, but they're healthy and playing their best ball right now- they riddled Cal/WestVirginia teams, and refs pulled them through the Baylor game. Logic says Duke wins.

2003 Syracuse is last underdog to win national title game; before that, it is way back to 1999 UConn, which upset Duke as 9.5-point underdogs in title game. Only hopeless romantics will pick Butler in this game, but they do have a shot, if Scheyer has a bad game behind arc. We can hope.

[Udog]

NHL
Write-Up


Monday, April 5

Hot Teams
-- Blues won four of their last five games.

Cold Teams
-- Washington is 3-4 in its last seven home games. Bruins are 2-7 in game following their last nine wins.
-- Blue Jackets lost three of their last four road games.
-- Edmonton lost its last five games, scoring 12 goals. Minnesota lost its last three games, outscored 11-5.

Totals
-- Last five Boston games stayed under the total.
-- Last three Columbus games stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last eight Edmonton home games stayed under the total.

Playing second of back-to-back nights
-- Minnesota is 0-7 when playing second consecutive night on road.

Series Records
-- Bruins lost six of last seven games against Washington.
-- Blue Jackets lost seven of last eight visits to St Louis.
-- Minnesota won three of last four games against the Oilers.

[Udog]

MLB
Write-Up


Monday, April 5

For the first 10-14 days of baseball season, this page will look a little differently than it normally does, until we get enough data to provide trends using just 2010 numbers. Good luck this season. Play ball!!!

Pitching stats go back to LY; obviously, everyone starts over Opening Day, since we don't want this page to be blank, we use LY's numbers.

Hot pitchers
-- Halladay was 4-2, 1.47 in his last six starts for Toronto. Lannan has 3.12 RA in his last four starts.
-- JJohnson was 3-0, 2.89 in four starts against the Mets LY.
-- Harang has a 2.14 RA in his last three starts. Carpenter has 1.80 RA in his last four outings.
-- Dodgers were 6-1 in Padilla starts LY (4-0, 3.62).
-- Brewers won five of last six Gallardo home starts.
-- Cubs won five of last six Zambrano road starts.
-- Arizona won 10 of last 14 Haren home starts.
-- Lincecum has 2.70 RA in his last six starts. Astros won four of last five Oswalt home starts.

-- Verlander is 3-0, 3.57 in his last three starts. Greinke is 5-0, 1.45 in his last eight starts.
-- Weaver is 2-1, 2.31 in his last four starts. Twins are 8-3 in Baker's last eleven road starts.
-- FHernandez is 7-0, 2.41 in his last eight starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Santana is 0-1, 4.98 in his last three home starts.
-- Duke is 1-5, 7.43 in his last seven starts.
-- Jiminez has a 6.10 RA in his last four road starts.
-- Lowe has a 7.72 RA in his last five starts.
-- Garland is 1-3, 7.89 in his last seven road starts.

-- Buehrle was 1-3, 5.24 in his last four starts; White Sox were 2-5 in his last seven home outings. Westbrook didn't pitch LY, after being hurt in 2008, when he made only five starts (1-2, 3.12).
-- Feldman is 0-3, 10.38 in his last three starts. Marcum didn't pitch in 2009; he was 9-7, 3.39 in 25 starts in 2008.
-- Ben Sheets didn't pitch LY; he was 13-9, 3.09 in 31 starts in 2008 for the Brewers.

Hot teams
-- Everyone is 0-0 on Opening Day.

Cold teams
-- Everyone except the Bronx Bombers.

Totals
-- Five of last six Lannan starts stayed under the total.
-- Over is 12-5-1 in last eighteen JJohnson starts.
-- Under is 4-0-1 in Harang's last five starts.
-- Seven of last eight Duke starts went over the total.
-- Six of last nine Jiminez starts stayed under the total.
-- Over is 6-2-1 in Lowe's last nine starts.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in Haren's last six starts.
-- Six of last eight Oswalt starts went over the total.

-- Under is 8-3 in last eleven Buehrle starts.
-- Seven of last nine Feldman starts stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Verlander starts went over the total.
-- Under is 7-1-1 in last nine Weaver starts.
-- Five of last seven Hernandez starts stayed under the total.

[Udog]

MLB


Monday, April 5

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Trend Report
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1:05 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 7 games when playing on the road against Washington
Philadelphia is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games when playing Washington
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 7 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

1:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. CINCINNATI
St. Louis is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of St. Louis's last 10 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Cincinnati's last 10 games when playing at home against St. Louis

1:10 PM
FLORIDA vs. NY METS
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Florida's last 12 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
Florida is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing NY Mets
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Mets's last 5 games at home
NY Mets are 8-17 SU in its last 25 games

1:35 PM
LA DODGERS vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 16 of LA Dodgers's last 20 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Pittsburgh's last 20 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
Pittsburgh is 8-17 SU in their last 25 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers

2:05 PM
TORONTO vs. TEXAS
Toronto is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Toronto's last 16 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Texas's last 8 games when playing Toronto
Texas is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games at home

2:05 PM
CLEVELAND vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Cleveland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 5 games at home
Chi White Sox are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games at home

2:10 PM
COLORADO vs. MILWAUKEE
Colorado is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 6 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games at home
Milwaukee is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Colorado

4:10 PM
DETROIT vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Detroit's last 21 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas City's last 6 games when playing at home against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas City's last 5 games at home

4:10 PM
CHI CUBS vs. ATLANTA
Chi Cubs are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing Chi Cubs
Atlanta is 4-8 SU in their last 12 games when playing Chi Cubs

5:10 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. ARIZONA
San Diego is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Arizona
The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Diego's last 9 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Arizona is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Arizona is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against San Diego

7:05 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. HOUSTON
San Francisco is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Houston
San Francisco is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Houston's last 23 games at home

10:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. OAKLAND
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games
Seattle is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Oakland's last 9 games at home
Oakland is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing Seattle

10:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. LA ANGELS
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
Minnesota is 1-6 SU in their last 7 games when playing LA Angels
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Angels's last 5 games when playing Minnesota
LA Angels are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing Minnesota


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[Udog]

MLB


Monday, April 5

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Tips and Trends
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Chicago Cubs at Atlanta Braves [ESPN | 4:10 PM ET]

Cubs : The Cubs ended last year in disappointing fashion, yet they are enthusiastic about their chances this season. That's because the Cubs went 18-12 SU during Spring Training play. P Carlos Zambrano will start today, and he's coming off a season where he went 9-7 SU with an ERA of 3.77 and a WHIP of 1.38. Zambrano will take his fiery act to the mound today against a team that he has struggled with. Zambrano is 2-3 SU with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.500 lifetime against the Braves. Chicago expects to contend for a Wild Card berth in the National League this season, as they have one of the highest payrolls in baseball. Rookie Tyler Colvin had an amazing spring training, as he was the talk of the team as he batted .468 over 77 at bats. The Cubs are expecting big things yet again from established starts such as Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee, and Aramis Ramirez.

Cubs are 17-38 last 55 games as a road underdog.
Under is 8-0 last 8 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.

Key Injuries - None.

PROJECTED SCORE: 3

Braves (-130, O/U 8.5): Derek Lowe will be making his 5th Opening Day start of his career today. Lowe won last year on Opening Day, and that remains his lone win on the 1st day of the season. Much is expected from the Braves this season, as they are expected to finish 2nd in the NL East. Coach Bobby Cox will be coaching his final Opening Day, as he will retire at seasons end. LF Melky Cabrera will be batting lead off for the Braves, as he comes over from the Yankees. Rookie RF Jason Heyward had an amazing spring training, batting .305 and turning plenty of heads. Atlanta was 55-54 SU last season against right handed pitchers last year, averaging 4.2 RPG.

Braves are 6-2 last 8 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.
Under is 15-6 last 21 vs. National League Central.

Key Injuries - CF Nate McLouth (hamstring) is probable.
3B Chipper Jones (toe) is probable.

PROJECTED SCORE: 6 (Side of the Day)


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[Udog]

NCAAB


Monday, April 5

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Tips and Trends
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Butler Bulldogs vs. Duke Blue Devils [CBS | 9:21 PM ET]

Bulldogs: The Cinderella run continues, as the hometown Butler Bulldogs just keep winning. The improbable run continued with Butler overcoming a sluggish start to beat Michigan St. 52-50 to advance to the NCAA Championship game. Butler has been winning with defense, as they haven't allowed any of their opponents to score more than 59 PTS in the Tournament. Butler is 33-4 SU and 17-20 ATS overall this season. Butler has won 25 consecutive games SU as they enter their 1st ever Championship game. Butler is 18-4 SU and 11-11 ATS outside of their home gym this season, including 6-3 in neutral court scenarios. The Bulldogs are 4-3 ATS this season as the listed underdog, including 2-0 SU in this very Tournament. Butler plays well in expected defensive battles this season, going 9-5 ATS in games with an expected total between 120 and 129.5 PTS. F Gordon Hayward leads the Bulldogs with team highs of 15.6 PPG and 8.2 RPG this season. The reigning Horizon League Player of the Year will need to have a huge game for the Bulldogs to play the role of David against Duke's Goliath.

Bulldogs are 6-0 ATS last 6 games as an underdog of 7 to 12.5 PTS.
Under is 4-0 last 4 NCAA Tournament games.

Key Injuries - G Shelvin Mack (thigh) is probable.
F Matt Howard (head) is questionable.

PROJECTED SCORE: 59 (OVER - Total of the Day)

Blue Devils (-7, O/U 129): Coach Krzyzewski has Duke 1 win away from the 4th National Championship under his tenure. There is little doubt that Duke is playing their best basketball of the season right now, as only 1 opponent in the NCAA Tournament has stayed within single digits of the Blue Devils. Duke has only allowed 1 Tournament opponent to score more than 57 PTS against them. Offensively, Duke has scored at least 70 PTS in 4 of their 5 Tournament games. Duke played arguably their best game of the season in beating West Virginia by 21 PTS. The trio of Jon Scheyer, Nolan Smith, and Kyle Singler were dominant against West Virginia, scoring 63 of the Blue Devils 78 PTS. The trio have been doing this all season long, as they account for 70% of the Blue Devils scoring this year. Duke is 34-5 SU and 23-13-2 ATS overall this season. The Blue Devils are 17-5 SU and 12-9-1 ATS away from home this season, including a perfect 12-0 SU in neutral court contests. Duke is 23-14 ATS as the listed favorite this season, including 10-6-1 ATS as a single digit favorite. Duke has had no problem handling defensive minded teams this season, going 12-5 ATS against teams that allow less than 64 PPG this season. Duke only had 6 turnovers against West Virginia, and have had less than 10 turnovers in 11 games this season.

Duke is 5-0 ATS last 5 NCAA Tournament games as a favorite.
Under is 12-5 last 17 games as a favorite.

Key Injuries - None.

PROJECTED SCORE: 64


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[Udog]

MLB


April Good and Bad Month Pitchers

Major League Baseball trades places with College Hoops as the sports flavor of the month in April. And we usher in America’s favorite pastime, let’s open the season with one of our favorite handicapping angles – good month pitchers.

Listed below are hurlers that have enjoyed a two-to-one or better success ratio in team starts the last three seasons during the month of April. On the flip side, we’ve also listed pitchers that struggle in April team starts, winning 33% percent or less of their efforts. To qualify pitchers must have made a minimum of 10 starts, with at least one start each April over the last three years. I’ll be back next month with May’s Good Month Pitchers. Until then, enjoy…

GOOD MONTH PITCHERS

Beckett, Josh - 10-4
Buerhle, Mark - 10-3
Greinke, Zach - 10-5
Hernandez, Felix - 10-4
Hudson, Tim - 8-3
Looper, Braden - 12-3
Matsusaka, Daisuke - 8-4
Moyer, Jamie -10-5
Penny, Brad - 10-4
Saunders, Joe - 11-3
Wainwright, Adam - 11-4
Webb, Brandon - 11-1

BAD MONTH PITCHERS
Arroyo, Bronson - 5-10
Zito, Barry - 4-10

[Udog]

Monday six-pack

-- Milwaukee Bucks are 42-34, much-improved, even better when you consider they're 7-12 in games decided by 3 or less points (most close games played of any NBA team).

-- Celtics are 24-13 on the road, 24-15 at home; they and 76ers are the only NBA teams with better record on road than at home.

-- Bad news in Jacksonville is that Jaguar season ticket sales are pretty much where they were LY; Jags could be leaving Florida soon.

-- Arena League is being telecast on NFL Network, further annoying me since my hideous cable company doesn't carry NFL Network.

-- AFL has 15 teams now; it would be nice if their website actually had the teams' nicknames listed in the standings, so I could learn them.

-- Very sad to hear Da'Sean Butler tore his ACL Saturday night; he is in for a long re-hab, but he'll play in the NBA someday.


************************************


Monday's List of 13: Happy Opening Day, everyone.........

13) Lot to get to, on this, the best Monday of the year; hard to believe its been 20 years since UNLV crushed Duke by 30 in finals, back when Tark the Shark ruled college hoop, with Johnson-Anthony-Augmon squashing opponents. Duke is back in the finals against an unlikely Butler team that is playing six miles from historic Hinkle Field House, where they filmed the last scenes in Hoosiers. Should be quite a night.

12) Donovan McNabb gets traded to the Redskins? Wow. What an insult to trade a veteran QB within the division, but apparently Philly granted McNabb's wish not to be traded to Oakland.

Eagles now have 11 picks in this draft, considered a very deep draft, and seven in the first four rounds. Five years from now, it'll be fascinating to see how this trade is judged.

11) NFL schedule makers will be hard at work tomorrow switching things around, getting McNabb's return to Philly aired on Sunday/Monday nite telecast. The schedule is due out soon; this could push it back some.

10) Bad night to be Jimmy Clausen's agent. Kid figured to get picked by the Redskins, now he's going to slide in the draft. Could slide for a while.

9) Dude on the Red Wings broke his nose on the first shift Sunday in the Wings' loss in Philly, then scored a goal later on. My conclusion: Rocco Baldelli couldn't play in the NHL. Hockey players are tough.

8) The AHL team in downtown Albany is moving to North Carolina after the season; strangely, this is best team they've had in over a decade. Will make an effort to get down to at least one playoff game, because playoff hockey is excellent, especially in person.

7) Giant pitcher Matt Cain looks just like the guy who gave up the HR to Roy Hobbs in the climactic scene in The Natural.

6) Nice touch by the NBA, giving Pacers home games Friday/Sunday with the Final Four in Indianapolis; had to be quite an atompshere downtown.

5) Phil Mickelson shot 1-under Sunday, but not your typical 1-under; he double bogeyed three holes, before six straight birdies on the back nine, as he rides into Augusta with some momentum. Rumor has it there might be a press conference in Augusta Monday afternoon.

4) Does every Bronx-Boston game have to last four hours?

3) No matter what ESPN says, Monday is Opening Day, when the Reds have a parade and the President toes the slab in DC. Everyone is 0-0 on Opening Day; all the Pirates have to do is beat Vicente Padilla to be over .500. I'll listen to Vin Scully and watch Ben Sheets with white shoes on and only thing missing will be me with Doritos (I'm on a diet....LOL).

2) Butler has a chance Monday night, because they don't rattle and crowd figures to give them a lift, but if Duke plays its normal game, they'll win. Zoubek's physical (thuggish) presence inside makes a huge difference; if Butler can get him in foul trouble, watch out. Scheyer has to cool down or else-- Duke was 13-26 from the arc Saturday, Butler played the toughest non-conference schedule in America. I'm rooting for the (Bull)dog(s).

1) Enjoy the best Monday of the year; Opening Day, Duke-Butler, and the McNabb/Redskins buzz thrown in as a bonus. I'm looking forward to seeing my A's take the field; on Opening Day, everyone still has hope.