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**Udog** · 04-17-2010, 04:23 AM

Daily Sports Roundup: April 17

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Cavs begin their quest for the NBA title, while the Caps take on the Canadiens, and the Red Sox play host to the Rays.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The NBA playoffs begin on Saturday with four games on the schedule: Milwaukee at Atlanta, Miami at Boston, Utah at Denver, and Chicago at Cleveland. The Cavaliers coasted for the last two weeks of the regular season, resting many of their starters (including LeBron James); as a result they enter the playoffs on a four-game losing streak. However, the top seeds in the Eastern Conference are still pegged as big 11-point home favorites against the Bulls for Game 1 on Saturday afternoon, with the total at 191.5 points. Chicago won each of its last three games to hold off the Raptors for the final playoff berth in the East.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

Action in the American League on Saturday includes Texas at the Yankees, the Angels at Toronto, Kansas City at Minnesota, Baltimore at Oakland, the White Sox at Cleveland, and Detroit at Seattle. As well, it'll be Tampa Bay at Boston, with James Shields (0-0, 3.97 ERA) taking on Clay Buchholz (1-0, 3.60 ERA). Righthander Shields has picked up a pair of no-decisions so far this season against the Orioles and Yankees despite giving up just five earned runs on 13 hits over his 11 1-3 innings of work. Righthander Buchholz beat the Royals in his first start of the season last week, allowing two earned runs over his five innings.

Meanwhile, the National League on Saturday has Milwaukee at Washington, Houston at the Cubs, the Mets at St. Louis, Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, Florida at Philadelphia, Colorado at Atlanta, Arizona at San Diego, and San Francisco at the Dodgers. Giants ace Tim Lincecum (2-0, 1.29 ERA) will get the start in that last contest; righthander Lincecum is already in midseason form for San Francisco, surrendering just two earned runs over 14 innings of work against the Braves and Astros. The Dodgers counter with Charlie Haeger (0-0, 3.86 ERA); the righthander has given up three earned runs over seven innings this season.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

Finally, the NHL playoffs continue Saturday with three games: Boston at Buffalo, Los Angeles at Vancouver, and Montreal at Washington. The Sabres, Canucks, and Canadiens all won the openers of their series on Thursday night, with Montreal upsetting top-seeded Washington 3-2 in overtime on the road to grab home-ice advantage in the set. Tomas Plekanec had the winner in the extra frame in that contest, while Michael Cammalleri and Scott Gomez scored in regulation time. Joe Corvo and Nicklas Backstrom replied for the Caps. Jaroslav Halak made 45 saves for Montreal, Jose Theodore had 35 saves for Washington.

**Udog** · 04-17-2010, 04:24 AM

Bettor's best friend: Saturday's wagering tips

Lines off the board

The total in the Astros-Cubs game hasn’t been posted because the wind direction at Wrigley can never be predicted.

Cincinnati Reds at Pittsburgh Pirates – Starting pitcher Ross Ohlendorf was scratched from Monday’s game and is doubtful to pitch on Saturday for the Pirates.

Lines to keep an eye on

The Bucks-Hawks total has plummeted since opening at 188.5. Some shops are dealing two points lower at 186.5 and a few are as low as 186. Eight straight games between these two have gone over.

Boston has dropped to 4-point home favorites over the Heat after opening as 5-point chalk. The Celtics have covered in 7-of-10 against Miami.

The Jazz-Nuggets total has been bet down to 207.5 after opening at 209. The over has cashed in four of the last five games between these squads.

The Brewers-Nationals total has dropped from an opener of 9.5 down to 9 at most shops. Nine of the last 10 games in this series have gone over.

The total in the White Sox-Indians game has dropped a half run from its opener and now stands at 8. The last five games in this series (not including a push) have gone under.

Most markets are working with a total of 10 in the Marlins-Phillies matchup after opening the number at 9.5. Both teams have only played to the under twice in their last 10 games.

In a rare occurrence, an NHL total has dropped a half point. The Bruins-Sabres total is down to 5 and the under is 10-1-1 in the last 12 meeting of this series in Buffalo.

Weather report

There is a 30 percent chance of rain throughout the Rangers-Yankees early game on Saturday. Wind is expected to blow in from left-center field at 15 mph and the high temperature for the day is 55 degrees.

It’s going to be chilly for the Rays-Red Sox affair Saturday. The high temperature for the day is 41 degrees and the wind chill will be around 34 degrees. A 50 percent chance of rain will not make it any warmer.

Who’s hot

The Rays have won three straight heading into Friday and Boston has a couple of outfield bats absent from the lineup.

Chicago is 3-0 ATS in its last three games while the Cavs are 0-3 ATS.

Who’s not

Baltimore has dropped seven straight going into Friday and lost 10 of the last 11 games versus the A’s.

The Celtics are 3-7 SU and ATS in their last 10 games.

Key stat

3-11-1 – Against the spread record of No. 8 seeds in the NBA playoffs when getting double digit points. The Bulls are 11-point dogs against Cleveland on Saturday.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Washington third baseman Ryan Zimmerman did not play in Friday's game against the Brewers due to an ailing hamstring. Big Z hasn’t played since last Saturday. Team reports said that Zimmerman is going to run the bases on Saturday and see how he feels so he might play. Zimmerman is the Nats primary offensive weapon and came off the bench Thursday to deliver a pinch-hit, two-run home run in a victory over Philadelphia.

Games of the Day

Utah Jazz at Denver Nuggets (-5, 209)

Montreal Canadiens at Washington Capitals (-325, 6)

Los Angeles Kings at Vancouver Canucks (-177, 5)

Notable quotable

"I almost died last year from blood clots in my legs, both of my legs. I had to stay in St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City for 20 days (in the offseason) just lying in bed. My legs were so big, so swollen up. They were purple. I couldn't even walk on them. I couldn't feel my legs. That was right after my ankle surgery and the surgery on my lower back."

-- Royals outfielder Jose Guillen said on Friday. Guillen is hitting .361 with five home runs and nine runs batted in this season.

Tips and notes

- Mehmet Okur doesn’t sound exactly enthused about playing in the playoffs and bettors should be wary. When asked if he was planning on playing in the FIBA World Championships, Okur called it the “biggest basketball event of the year” and said “I hope that during the [NBA] playoffs, I will not get injured.” That doesn’t sound like a guy that’s going to go all out for his team.

- Jim Furyk is tied for the lead at the Verizon Heritage through two rounds of play. Furyk has held at least a share of the 36-hole lead 17 times on the PGA Tour but only went on to win twice. He already won a tournament this year and Furyk has won more than once in a season only two times in his 18-year career. Furyk is the adjusted favorite to win this week at +405 while the other co-leaders, Charles Howell III (+945) and Greg Owen (+1815), are getting much better odds.

- With a week left in the season, Carlos Boozer talked about how important home-court advantage was to the Jazz (32-9 at home, 21-20 on the road this year). Well, Utah had a chance to lock up that position in the regular season finale but Boozer sat out and the team got blown out by Phoenix. The Nuggets have won and covered in four straight at home versus the Jazz. Andrei Kirilenko will not play in the game while Boozer is a game-time decision.

**Udog** · 04-17-2010, 04:25 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, April 17

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CHICAGO (41 - 41) at CLEVELAND (61 - 21) - 4/17/2010, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 96-79 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 82-64 ATS (+11.6 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 40-22 ATS (+15.8 Units) in all playoff games since 1996.
CHICAGO is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) on Saturday games this season.
CLEVELAND is 108-141 ATS (-47.1 Units) after scoring 85 points or less since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 6-6 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 6-6 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MILWAUKEE (46 - 36) at ATLANTA (53 - 29) - 4/17/2010, 5:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 47-34 ATS (+9.6 Units) in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 36-26 ATS (+7.4 Units) as a favorite this season.
ATLANTA is 25-16 ATS (+7.4 Units) in home games this season.
ATLANTA is 19-10 ATS (+8.0 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
MILWAUKEE is 51-28 ATS (+20.2 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 24-14 ATS (+8.6 Units) as an underdog this season.
MILWAUKEE is 27-12 ATS (+13.8 Units) in road games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 24-10 ATS (+13.0 Units) second half of the season this season.
MILWAUKEE is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) on Saturday games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent this season.
MILWAUKEE is 26-14 ATS (+10.6 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
MILWAUKEE is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
MILWAUKEE is 14-3 ATS (+10.7 Units) after scoring 105 points or more this season.
MILWAUKEE is 23-14 ATS (+7.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
MILWAUKEE is 26-17 ATS (+7.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
MILWAUKEE is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 6-5 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 7-4 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
8 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MIAMI (47 - 35) at BOSTON (50 - 32) - 4/17/2010, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 33-47 ATS (-18.7 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 24-38 ATS (-17.8 Units) as a favorite this season.
BOSTON is 12-28 ATS (-18.8 Units) in home games this season.
BOSTON is 6-14 ATS (-9.4 Units) in home games second half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 66-97 ATS (-40.7 Units) in home games after allowing 105 points or more since 1996.
BOSTON is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 67-94 ATS (-36.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 7-4 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 10-1 straight up against MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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UTAH (53 - 29) at DENVER (53 - 29) - 4/17/2010, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) in all playoff games over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 37-25 ATS (+9.5 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 42-28 ATS (+11.2 Units) after allowing 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 55-42 ATS (+8.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 36-21 ATS (+12.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 49-30 ATS (+16.0 Units) in all games this season.
UTAH is 22-13 ATS (+7.7 Units) second half of the season this season.
UTAH is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) on Saturday games this season.
UTAH is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 26-16 ATS (+8.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
UTAH is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
DENVER is 25-36 ATS (-14.6 Units) as a favorite this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 7-3 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 6-6 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Sunday, April 18

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OKLAHOMA CITY (50 - 32) at LA LAKERS (57 - 25) - 4/18/2010, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 48-34 ATS (+10.6 Units) in all games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 59-40 ATS (+15.0 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 26-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 28-17 ATS (+9.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 32-22 ATS (+7.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
LA LAKERS are 34-46 ATS (-16.6 Units) in all games this season.
LA LAKERS are 29-38 ATS (-12.8 Units) as a favorite this season.
LA LAKERS are 12-22 ATS (-12.2 Units) second half of the season this season.
LA LAKERS are 146-184 ATS (-56.4 Units) after a division game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 6-5 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 10-1 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CHARLOTTE (44 - 38) at ORLANDO (59 - 23) - 4/18/2010, 5:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 44-33 ATS (+7.7 Units) in all games this season.
ORLANDO is 40-29 ATS (+8.1 Units) as a favorite this season.
ORLANDO is 79-57 ATS (+16.3 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
ORLANDO is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) second half of the season this season.
ORLANDO is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) on Sunday games over the last 3 seasons.
ORLANDO is 60-37 ATS (+19.3 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
ORLANDO is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) after allowing 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 67-46 ATS (+16.4 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 91-72 ATS (+11.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 55-40 ATS (+11.0 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 22-9 ATS (+12.1 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 49-30 ATS (+16.0 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ORLANDO is 7-5 against the spread versus CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
ORLANDO is 10-2 straight up against CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
9 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SAN ANTONIO (50 - 32) at DALLAS (55 - 27) - 4/18/2010, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 10-24 ATS (-16.4 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 178-138 ATS (+26.2 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 237-192 ATS (+25.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
DALLAS is 36-44 ATS (-12.4 Units) in all games this season.
DALLAS is 24-34 ATS (-13.4 Units) as a favorite this season.
DALLAS is 10-29 ATS (-21.9 Units) in home games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 10-6 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 10-7 straight up against SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
9 of 17 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PORTLAND (50 - 32) at PHOENIX (54 - 28) - 4/18/2010, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 47-33 ATS (+10.7 Units) in all games this season.
PHOENIX is 33-21 ATS (+9.9 Units) as a favorite this season.
PHOENIX is 24-15 ATS (+7.5 Units) in home games this season.
PHOENIX is 23-9 ATS (+13.1 Units) second half of the season this season.
PHOENIX is 344-290 ATS (+25.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
PORTLAND is 45-35 ATS (+6.5 Units) in all games this season.
PORTLAND is 25-14 ATS (+9.6 Units) in road games this season.
PORTLAND is 32-18 ATS (+12.2 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 50-35 ATS (+11.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 33-19 ATS (+12.1 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 5-4 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 6-4 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**Udog** · 04-17-2010, 04:25 AM

NBA
Short Sheet

Saturday, 4/17/2010

Eastern Conference First Round - Best of 7 - Game 1
CHICAGO at CLEVELAND, 3:00 PM ET ABC
CHICAGO: 13-2 ATS after playing as a road favorite
CLEVELAND: 1-8 ATS on Saturday

Eastern Conference First Round - Best of 7 - Game 1
MILWAUKEE at ATLANTA, 5:35 PM ET ESPN
MILWAUKEE: 12-3 ATS revenging a home loss
ATLANTA: 15-5 Over as a home favorite of 6.5 to 12

Eastern Conference First Round - Best of 7 - Game 1
MIAMI at BOSTON, 8:05 PM ET ESPN
MIAMI: 7-0 Under Away when the total is between 185 and 189.5
BOSTON: 12-26 ATS as a home favorite

Western Conference First Round - Best of 7 - Game 1
UTAH at DENVER, 10:35 PM ET ESPN
UTAH: 13-4 ATS off a home loss
DENVER: 12-22 ATS after one or more consecutive overs

Sunday, 4/18/2010

Western Conference First Round - Best of 7 - Game 1
OKLAHOMA CITY at LA LAKERS, 3:00 PM ET ABC
OKLAHOMA CITY: 7-0 ATS after having lost 4 or 5 of their last 6
LA LAKERS: 12-22 ATS in the second half of the season

Eastern Conference First Round - Best of 7 - Game 1
CHARLOTTE at ORLANDO, 5:35 PM ET TNT
CHARLOTTE: 22-9 ATS against division opponents
ORLANDO: 11-2 Under on Sunday

Western Conference First Round - Best of 7 - Game 1
SAN ANTONIO at DALLAS, 8:05 PM ET TNT
SAN ANTONIO: 25-15 Under in road games
DALLAS: 2-11 ATS at home when the total is between 190 and 199.5

Western Conference First Round - Best of 7 - Game 1
PORTLAND at PHOENIX, 10:35 PM ET TNT
PORTLAND: 13-3 ATS Away after one or more consecutive overs
PHOENIX: 13-4 Under after a combined score of 215+ points

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 04-17-2010, 04:28 AM

NBA

Saturday, April 17

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Trend Report
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3:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. CLEVELAND
Chicago is 12-5 ATS in its last 17 games
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Cleveland is 10-3 ATS in its last 13 games when playing at home against Chicago
Cleveland is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Chicago

5:30 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. ATLANTA
Milwaukee is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
Milwaukee is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

8:00 PM
MIAMI vs. BOSTON
Miami is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Boston
Miami is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
Boston is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games
Boston is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games

10:30 PM
UTAH vs. DENVER
Utah is 0-3-2 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Denver
Utah is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Denver
Denver is 4-1-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Utah
Denver is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Utah

Sunday, April 18

3:00 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. LA LAKERS
Oklahoma City is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games on the road
LA Lakers are 2-5-1 ATS in their last 8 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
LA Lakers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City

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**Udog** · 04-17-2010, 04:29 AM

NBA

Saturday, April 17

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NBA Team-by-team Playoff Trends
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With the 2010 NBA Playoffs set to commence on Saturday, the handicapping preparation continues with a look at all 16 teams from a recent playoff trend perspective. We've dug out three playoff-exclusive trends for each team that you'll want to give consideration to as you do your daily routine. We've also listed the straight up, ATS, and over-under records for each club against its fellow conference playoff contenders over the last three years. Enjoy the analysis and good luck getting ready for a run of playoff success.

ATLANTA HAWKS

Top Team Playoff Power Trends
* ATLANTA is on a 1-15 SU & ATS skid in road playoff games, 9-4-1 ATS at home.
* ATLANTA is just 4-17-1 ATS in its L22 playoff games as an underdog.
* ATLANTA is 9-3 UNDER in its L12 playoff games, eclipsing the 93-point mark just once.

Record vs. Conference Playoff Foes (L3 years)
vs. BOSTON: 7-11 SU, 10-8 ATS, 9-9 O-U (Avg. Score: 90.8-97.2)
vs. CHARLOTTE: 7-5 SU, 4-8 ATS, 7-5 O-U (Avg. Score: 95.3-95.9)
vs. CHICAGO: 8-3 SU, 7-4 ATS, 8-3 O-U (Avg. Score: 104.8-96.7)
vs. CLEVELAND: 2-12 SU, 6-6 ATS, 7-7 O-U (Avg. Score: 88.6-96.4)
vs. MIAMI: 11-8 SU, 9-10 ATS, 6-13 O-U (Avg. Score: 89.2-90.5)
vs. MILWAUKEE: 6-4 SU, 5-5 ATS, 7-2 O-U (Avg. Score: 102.7-96.6)
vs. ORLANDO: 4-8 SU, 4-8 ATS, 4-8 O-U (Avg. Score: 92.7-101.3)

BOSTON CELTICS

Top Team Playoff Power Trends
* BOSTON is on a profitable 8-3-1 ATS run in road playoff games.
* BOSTON is just 3-10 ATS in its L13 postseason games when favored by 6-points or more.
* In its L16 home playoff games, BOSTON is a surprising 11-5 OVER the total.

Record vs. Conference Playoff Foes (L3 years)
vs. ATLANTA: 11-7 SU, 8-10 ATS, 9-9 O-U (Avg. Score: 97.2-90.8)
vs. CHARLOTTE: 8-2 SU, 4-6 ATS, 5-5 O-U (Avg. Score: 99.8-90.4)
vs. CHICAGO: 12-5 SU, 11-5 ATS, 11-4 O-U (Avg. Score: 109.4-99.2)
vs. CLEVELAND: 10-9 SU, 5-14 ATS, 10-9 O-U (Avg. Score: 90.7-93.4)
vs. MIAMI: 10-1 SU, 7-4 ATS, 6-4 O-U (Avg. Score: 101.5-92.2)
vs. MILWAUKEE: 7-2 SU, 3-5 ATS, 3-6 O-U (Avg. Score: 97.1-88.4)
vs. ORLANDO: 7-11 SU, 9-9 ATS, 6-12 O-U (Avg. Score: 91.4-91.8)

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS

Top Team Playoff Power Trends
* The Bobcats' franchise is making its first ever playoff appearance
* The Charlotte HORNETS were just 3-8 ATS in their final 11 playoff games.
* In those final 11 playoff games, OVER the total was 8-2-1.

Record vs. Conference Playoff Foes (L3 years)
vs. ATLANTA: 5-7 SU, 8-4 ATS, 7-5 O-U (Avg. Score: 95.9-95.3)
vs. BOSTON: 2-8 SU, 6-4 ATS, 5-5 O-U (Avg. Score: 90.4-99.8)
vs. CHICAGO: 4-6 SU, 5-5 ATS, 6-4 O-U (Avg. Score: 96.7-97.9)
vs. CLEVELAND: 4-7 SU, 6-5 ATS, 5-6 O-U (Avg. Score: 92.3-98.3)
vs. MIAMI: 7-5 SU, 8-3 ATS, 5-7 O-U (Avg. Score: 92.5-87.8)
vs. MILWAUKEE: 4-7 SU, 3-8 ATS, 5-6 O-U (Avg. Score: 90.4-93.5)
vs. ORLANDO: 2-10 SU, 5-7 ATS, 3-9 O-U (Avg. Score: 89.7-98.1)

CHICAGO BULLS

Top Team Playoff Power Trends
* Dating back to '06, CHICAGO is on a 13-5 OVER the total run in the postseason.
* CHICAGO has been better on the road (7-4-1 ATS) then at home (4-6-1 ATS) in L4 years of playoffs.
* CHICAGO is 10-5-1 ATS & 11-5 OVER the total in its L16 playoff games as an underdog.

Record vs. Conference Playoff Foes (L3 years)
vs. ATLANTA: 3-8 SU, 4-7 ATS, 8-3 O-U (Avg. Score: 96.7-104.8)
vs. BOSTON: 5-12 SU, 5-11 ATS, 11-4 O-U (Avg. Score: 99.2-109.4)
vs. CHARLOTTE: 6-4 SU, 5-5 ATS, 6-4 O-U (Avg. Score: 97.9-96.7)
vs. CLEVELAND: 5-6 SU, 6-5 ATS, 5-6 O-U (Avg. Score: 94.2-98.6)
vs. MIAMI: 4-7 SU, 5-6 ATS, 3-8 O-U (Avg. Score: 97-98.4)
vs. MILWAUKEE: 7-5 SU, 6-6 ATS, 7-5 O-U (Avg. Score: 101.3-98)
vs. ORLANDO: 2-9 SU, 4-7 ATS, 4-7 O-U (Avg. Score: 92.8-105.6)

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

Top Team Playoff Power Trends
* CLEVELAND is 30-14 SU & 30-12-2 ATS in the first two rounds of the playoffs with LeBron James.
* CLEVELAND is on a run of 14-4 SU & ATS at home in the postseason.
* Prior to last year's Eastern Finals, CLEVELAND was on a 14-1-1 ATS run as a playoff favorite.

Record vs. Conference Playoff Foes (L3 years)
vs. ATLANTA: 12-2 SU, 6-6 ATS, 7-7 O-U (Avg. Score: 96.4-88.6)
vs. BOSTON: 9-10 SU, 14-5 ATS, 10-9 O-U (Avg. Score: 93.4-90.7)
vs. CHARLOTTE: 7-4 SU, 5-6 ATS, 5-6 O-U (Avg. Score: 98.3-92.3)
vs. CHICAGO: 6-5 SU, 5-6 ATS, 5-6 O-U (Avg. Score: 98.6-94.2)
vs. MIAMI: 9-1 SU, 7-3 ATS, 3-6 O-U (Avg. Score: 97.6-90.8)
vs. MILWAUKEE: 8-4 SU, 4-8 ATS, 7-5 O-U (Avg. Score: 98.4-94.6)
vs. ORLANDO: 6-10 SU, 4-12 ATS, 10-6 O-U (Avg. Score: 100.1-103.9)

DALLAS MAVERICKS

Top Team Playoff Power Trends
* DALLAS is just 7-14 ATS overall in the L3 years of the NBA postseason.
* The road has been unkind to DALLAS, 2-10 SU & 3-9 ATS in its L12 playoff games away.
* DALLAS is a profitable 19-9 ATS in its L28 playoff games as an underdog of 4.5-points or less.

Record vs. Conference Playoff Foes (L3 years)
vs. DENVER: 4-11 SU, 3-12 ATS, 8-7 O-U (Avg. Score: 102.2-108.1)
vs. LA LAKERS: 3-8 SU, 6-4 ATS, 7-4 O-U (Avg. Score: 101.5-105.5)
vs. OKLAHOMA CITY: 7-4 SU, 3-8 ATS, 4-7 O-U (Avg. Score: 99.6-95.9)
vs. PHOENIX: 7-3 SU, 5-4 ATS, 6-4 O-U (Avg. Score: 109.9-108)
vs. PORTLAND: 5-5 SU, 4-6 ATS, 4-6 O-U (Avg. Score: 95.5-93.7)
vs. SAN ANTONIO: 9-7 SU, 10-6 ATS, 9-7 O-U (Avg. Score: 97.4-95.2)
vs. UTAH: 5-6 SU, 4-7 ATS, 5-6 O-U (Avg. Score: 102.1-104.3)

DENVER NUGGETS

Top Team Playoff Power Trends
* DENVER won its first 12 playoff games against the spread (9-3 SU) last spring.
* DENVER was 8-7 UNDER the total in the '09 NBA playoffs and now 25-9 UNDER since '05.
* DENVER is just 8-1 SU & ATS in its L9 as a playoff favorite of 4.5-points or more.

Record vs. Conference Playoff Foes (L3 years)
vs. DALLAS: 11-4 SU, 12-3 ATS, 8-7 O-U (Avg. Score: 108.1-102.2)
vs. LA LAKERS: 5-15 SU, 8-12 ATS, 6-14 O-U (Avg. Score: 101.1-106.9)
vs. OKLAHOMA CITY: 9-2 SU, 5-6 ATS, 9-2 O-U (Avg. Score: 122.5-108.5)
vs. PHOENIX: 4-6 SU, 3-7 ATS, 5-5 O-U (Avg. Score: 110.6-115)
vs. PORTLAND: 7-5 SU, 8-4 ATS, 5-7 O-U (Avg. Score: 100.6-99.5)
vs. SAN ANTONIO: 6-4 SU, 6-4 ATS, 4-6 O-U (Avg. Score: 97-96.6)
vs. UTAH: 6-6 SU, 7-3 ATS, 7-5 O-U (Avg. Score: 108.1-108.9)

LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Top Team Playoff Power Trends
* The LA LAKERS are on a run of 21-9 UNDER the total as a playoff favorite.
* The LA LAKERS are just 8-13 ATS in their L21 playoff games when favored by 9-points or more.
* When failing to reach 97+ points, the LA LAKERS are just 11-24 SU & 8-27 ATS in the playoffs since '03.

Record vs. Conference Playoff Foes (L3 years)
vs. DALLAS: 8-3 SU, 4-6 ATS, 7-4 O-U (Avg. Score: 105.5-101.5)
vs. DENVER: 15-5 SU, 12-8 ATS, 6-14 O-U (Avg. Score: 106.9-101.1)
vs. OKLAHOMA CITY: 10-1 SU, 5-6 ATS, 4-7 O-U (Avg. Score: 107-98)
vs. PHOENIX: 9-3 SU, 8-4 ATS, 7-5 O-U (Avg. Score: 113.8-106.1)
vs. PORTLAND: 5-5 SU, 3-7 ATS, 5-5 O-U (Avg. Score: 99.9-97.3)
vs. SAN ANTONIO: 10-6 SU, 9-7 ATS, 3-12 O-U (Avg. Score: 95.6-93.9)
vs. UTAH: 16-6 SU, 13-8 ATS, 12-10 O-U (Avg. Score: 108.3-101.9)

MIAMI HEAT

Top Team Playoff Power Trends
* Since winning the title in '06, MIAMI is just 3-8 SU & 4-7 ATS in the postseason.
* MIAMI has gone UNDER the total in 16 of its L23 playoff games.
* MIAMI is on an incredible run of 35-11-1 ATS when eclipsing the 90-point mark in a playoff game.

Record vs. Conference Playoff Foes (L3 years)
vs. ATLANTA: 8-11 SU, 10-9 ATS, 6-13 O-U (Avg. Score: 90.5-89.2)
vs. BOSTON: 1-10 SU, 4-7 ATS, 6-4 O-U (Avg. Score: 92.2-101.5)
vs. CHARLOTTE: 5-7 SU, 3-8 ATS, 5-7 O-U (Avg. Score: 87.8-92.5)
vs. CHICAGO: 7-4 SU, 6-5 ATS, 3-8 O-U (Avg. Score: 98.4-97)
vs. CLEVELAND: 1-9 SU, 3-7 ATS, 3-6 O-U (Avg. Score: 90.8-97.6)
vs. MILWAUKEE: 5-6 SU, 5-6 ATS, 4-7 O-U (Avg. Score: 90-92.9)
vs. ORLANDO: 3-9 SU, 4-7 ATS, 7-4 O-U (Avg. Score: 96.3-103.8)

MILWAUKEE BUCKS

Top Team Playoff Power Trends
* Dating back to '01, MILWAUKEE is just 9-18-2 ATS in its L29 franchise playoff games.
* MILWAUKEE has been a big OVER the total team in the postseason, 12-5-1 in L18.
* MILWAUKEE has covered the spread in just four of its L13 postseason home games.

Record vs. Conference Playoff Foes (L3 years)
vs. ATLANTA: 4-6 SU, 5-5 ATS, 7-2 O-U (Avg. Score: 96.6-102.7)
vs. BOSTON: 2-7 SU, 5-3 ATS, 3-6 O-U (Avg. Score: 88.4-97.1)
vs. CHARLOTTE: 7-4 SU, 8-3 ATS, 5-6 O-U (Avg. Score: 93.5-90.4)
vs. CHICAGO: 5-7 SU, 6-6 ATS, 7-5 O-U (Avg. Score: 98-101.3)
vs. CLEVELAND: 4-8 SU, 8-4 ATS, 7-5 O-U (Avg. Score: 94.6-98.4)
vs. MIAMI: 6-5 SU, 6-5 ATS, 4-7 O-U (Avg. Score: 92.9-90)
vs. ORLANDO: 2-8 SU, 4-6 ATS, 4-6 O-U (Avg. Score: 91.4-101.1)

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

Top Team Playoff Power Trends
* The OKLAHOMA CITY franchise, formerly the Sonics, is 17-7 OVER the total in L24 playoff games.
* As the Sonics, the OKC franchise was 15-1 OVER the total as a playoff underdog of 5.5-points or more.
* Home court playoff edge was big while in Seattle, with OKC franchise 8-2 SU & ATS in L10 games.

Record vs. Conference Playoff Foes (L3 years)
vs. DALLAS: 4-7 SU, 8-3 ATS, 4-7 O-U (Avg. Score: 95.9-99.6)
vs. DENVER: 2-9 SU, 6-5 ATS, 9-2 O-U (Avg. Score: 108.5-122.5)
vs. LA LAKERS: 1-10 SU, 6-5 ATS, 4-7 O-U (Avg. Score: 98-107)
vs. PHOENIX: 1-9 SU, 6-3 ATS, 4-6 O-U (Avg. Score: 102.4-109.5)
vs. PORTLAND: 4-7 SU, 5-6 ATS, 1-10 O-U (Avg. Score: 87.5-93)
vs. SAN ANTONIO: 4-7 SU, 5-6 ATS, 6-4 O-U (Avg. Score: 92.9-97.8)
vs. UTAH: 4-8 SU, 7-5 ATS, 5-7 O-U (Avg. Score: 101.2-105.4)

ORLANDO MAGIC

Top Team Playoff Power Trends
* ORLANDO is 20-12 UNDER the total in its L32 playoff games overall.
* ORLANDO is just 4-25 SU & 6-21-2 ATS in its L29 playoff games in which it failed to reach 95 points.
* Upsets are rare for ORLANDO as a playoff dog of 4-points or more, 3-20 SU & 8-13-2 ATS since '99.

Record vs. Conference Playoff Foes (L3 years)
vs. ATLANTA: 8-4 SU, 8-4 ATS, 4-8 O-U (Avg. Score: 101.3-92.7)
vs. BOSTON: 11-7 SU, 9-9 ATS, 6-12 O-U (Avg. Score: 91.8-91.4)
vs. CHARLOTTE: 10-2 SU, 7-5 ATS, 3-9 O-U (Avg. Score: 98.1-89.7)
vs. CHICAGO: 9-2 SU, 7-4 ATS, 4-7 O-U (Avg. Score: 105.6-92.8)
vs. CLEVELAND: 10-6 SU, 12-4 ATS, 10-6 O-U (Avg. Score: 103.9-100.1)
vs. MIAMI: 9-3 SU, 7-4 ATS, 7-4 O-U (Avg. Score: 103.8-96.3)
vs. MILWAUKEE: 8-2 SU, 6-4 ATS, 4-6 O-U (Avg. Score: 101.1-91.4)

PHOENIX SUNS

Top Team Playoff Power Trends
* Dating back to '06, PHOENIX is just 8-13 SU & 8-11-2 ATS in the NBA playoffs.
* When failing to reach 110+ points, PHOENIX is just 18-39-2 ATS in the playoffs since '97.
* PHOENIX is just 10-16-1 ATS in its L27 games as a playoff road underdog.

Record vs. Conference Playoff Foes (L3 years)
vs. DALLAS: 3-7 SU, 4-5 ATS, 6-4 O-U (Avg. Score: 108-109.9)
vs. DENVER: 6-4 SU, 7-3 ATS, 5-5 O-U (Avg. Score: 115-110.6)
vs. LA LAKERS: 3-9 SU, 4-8 ATS, 7-5 O-U (Avg. Score: 106.1-113.8)
vs. OKLAHOMA CITY: 9-1 SU, 3-6 ATS, 4-6 O-U (Avg. Score: 109.5-102.4)
vs. PORTLAND: 6-4 SU, 4-5 ATS, 4-5 O-U (Avg. Score: 104.1-102.2)
vs. SAN ANTONIO: 6-9 SU, 8-6 ATS, 7-8 O-U (Avg. Score: 99.6-98.7)
vs. UTAH: 4-6 SU, 3-7 ATS, 6-4 O-U (Avg. Score: 106-110.3)

PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS

Top Team Playoff Power Trends
* Going back all the way to 2000, PORTLAND has won just five of 20 playoff games (10-9-1 ATS)
* PORTLAND is just 1-11 SU in its L12 road playoff games, but 6-5-1 ATS.
* PORTLAND is 10-6 ATS in the first round of the NBA playoffs since '02.

Record vs. Conference Playoff Foes (L3 years)
vs. DALLAS: 5-5 SU, 6-4 ATS, 4-6 O-U (Avg. Score: 93.7-95.5)
vs. DENVER: 5-7 SU, 4-8 ATS, 5-7 O-U (Avg. Score: 99.5-100.6)
vs. LA LAKERS: 5-5 SU, 7-3 ATS, 5-5 O-U (Avg. Score: 97.3-99.9)
vs. OKLAHOMA CITY: 7-4 SU, 6-5 ATS, 1-10 O-U (Avg. Score: 93-87.5)
vs. PHOENIX: 4-6 SU, 5-4 ATS, 4-5 O-U (Avg. Score: 102.2-104.1)
vs. SAN ANTONIO: 6-4 SU, 8-2 ATS, 5-5 O-U (Avg. Score: 91.2-91.4)
vs. UTAH: 5-7 SU, 5-7 ATS, 7-5 O-U (Avg. Score: 101-101.4)

SAN ANTONIO SPURS

Top Team Playoff Power Trends
* SAN ANTONIO is just 7-12 SU & 7-11-1 ATS in its L19 playoff games, 1-9 SU & 2-8 ATS on the road.
* Over the L4 playoff seasons, SAN ANTONIO is 18-7-1 UNDER the total on the road.
* SAN ANTONIO has lost only 10 of its L70 playoff games when scoring 96+ points (57-13 ATS).

Record vs. Conference Playoff Foes (L3 years)
vs. DALLAS: 7-9 SU, 6-10 ATS, 9-7 O-U (Avg. Score: 95.2-97.4)
vs. DENVER: 4-6 SU, 4-6 ATS, 4-6 O-U (Avg. Score: 96.6-97)
vs. LA LAKERS: 6-10 SU, 7-9 ATS, 3-12 O-U (Avg. Score: 93.9-95.6)
vs. OKLAHOMA CITY: 7-4 SU, 6-5 ATS, 6-4 O-U (Avg. Score: 97.8-92.9)
vs. PHOENIX: 9-6 SU, 6-8 ATS, 7-8 O-U (Avg. Score: 98.7-99.6)
vs. PORTLAND: 4-6 SU, 2-8 ATS, 5-5 O-U (Avg. Score: 91.4-91.2)
vs. UTAH: 5-6 SU, 5-6 ATS, 7-4 O-U (Avg. Score: 98.1-97.3)

UTAH JAZZ

Top Team Playoff Power Trends
* Dating back to '99, UTAH is just 6-29 SU & 13-22 ATS in road playoff games.
* In expected close playoff games at home, lines +5 to -5, UTAH is 23-9 UNDER the total.
* Over the L3 playoff seasons, UTAH boasts a profitable 12-4 SU & 9-5-2 ATS mark at home.

Record vs. Conference Playoff Foes (L3 years)
vs. DALLAS: 6-5 SU, 7-4 ATS, 5-6 O-U (Avg. Score: 104.3-102.1)
vs. DENVER: 6-6 SU, 3-7 ATS, 7-5 O-U (Avg. Score: 108.9-108.1)
vs. LA LAKERS: 6-16 SU, 8-13 ATS, 12-10 O-U (Avg. Score: 101.9-108.3)
vs. OKLAHOMA CITY: 8-4 SU, 5-7 ATS, 5-7 O-U (Avg. Score: 105.4-101.2)
vs. PHOENIX: 6-4 SU, 7-3 ATS, 6-4 O-U (Avg. Score: 110.3-106)
vs. PORTLAND: 7-5 SU, 7-5 ATS, 7-5 O-U (Avg. Score: 101.4-101)
vs. SAN ANTONIO: 6-5 SU, 6-5 ATS, 7-4 O-U (Avg. Score: 97.3-98.1)

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**Udog** · 04-17-2010, 04:30 AM

NBA

Saturday, April 17

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NBA Western Conference playoff series picks
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Most people say you don't need to pay attention to the NBA playoffs until the second or third round. And while that may be the case in the East, it's far from the truth in the wild, wild Western Conference.

Here's how things will shake out in the Round 1:

Los Angeles Lakers (-700) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (+525)

Oklahoma City is a young, exciting team that possesses some matchup advantages against the defending champs. Thunder guard Thabo Sefolosha is the best perimeter defender in the league and he will make things difficult for Kobe Bryant.

The Thunder’s offense struggles sometimes when opponents cheat over to Kevin Durant’s side and deny him the ball. Ron Artest isn’t the defensive force he once was but he’ll still make KD work for every shot.

Oklahoma City’s real advantage comes at the point. The Thunder will extend this series if Russell Westbrook eats up Derek Fisher. Westbrook will have to keep his cool because Fisher will get the benefit of the doubt on most block/charge calls.

As bad as the Lakers looked over the last few months, they’re just too talented and have too much experience to lose in the first round.

Prediction: Lakers in six

Dallas Mavericks (-165) vs. San Antonio Spurs (+145)

Don’t let the seedings fool you, this series is a coin toss.

The Mavericks are deep and have won tight games all season. They’ve got scoring options at four out of five spots in the starting lineup and they can field a wide variety of lineup combos to best disrupt their opponent’s strengths.

Still, the Spurs are playing great basketball and are healthy heading into the postseason. Dallas has no shot of winning this series if Manu Ginobili plays as well as he has been down the stretch. The return of Tony Parker will take the ball out of Manu’s hands to some degree, which could actually help out the Mavs.

The Spurs are a tougher team. They’ve been through more rough patches this season and have preserved. Plus they’ve got the best coach in the league.

Pick: Spurs in seven

Phoenix Suns (-520) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (+430)

Brandon Roy is a fantastic player and he won’t be replaced easily. Even if he tries to play on that wonky knee, you have to figure his production will be way down.

The Blazers have depth at Roy’s position but the two likely candidates to fill in for the All-Star’s have their own shortcomings.

Rudy Fernandez is a creative player who can attack the rack but he chooses to stand behind the arc and chuck 3s all game, while Jerryd Bayless is more interested in playing one-on-one than swinging the ball to an open teammate.

Don’t sleep on Phoenix either. Sure, it has its usual defensive issues. But if you’re going to beat the Suns, you’ve got to put up triple digits every night. If Jason Richardson is aggressive and looks for his shot, Phoenix will make short work of the injury-ravaged Blazers.

Pick: Phoenix in five

Denver Nuggets (-170) vs. Utah Jazz (+150)

If you’d have asked me two months ago who the Lakers’ No. 1 threat in the West was, I would have picked the Nuggets. A lot has changed since then.

George Karl isn’t on the sidelines, J.R. Smith is now forcing shots with three defenders on him rather than just two and Kenyon Martin is more worried about the interior of his luxury SUV than playing for his teammates in the postseason.

The Jazz are a different beast. No point guard in the league is playing better than Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer is motivated heading into free agency. I think the Jazz will win all the hustle categories and squeak past the Nuggets.

Pick: Jazz in six

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NBA Eastern Conference playoff series picks
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Let’s lay the cards on the table.

Dealing from the top of the deck you peel off LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

Unless something really bad happens to one of those players early in the playoffs, their teams will all make it to the Eastern Conference Final Four. Unlike in the West, there is a substantial talent gap between the No. 4 seed (Boston) and the other teams who will not be around much longer than a week.

Miami is one-dimensional, Milwaukee has shot its load and has been forced to change its style of play on the fly, Charlotte has too many bangs and bruises and Chicago always seems to be fighting itself.

Chicago Bulls (+1650) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (-2600) (Season series 2-2)

Joakim Noah says the Bulls “are going to shock the world.” Sure. The Bulls deserve props for surviving a 10-game losing streak, then winning six of their last eight to grab the last playoff spot in the East, but beating everyone’s presumed Eastern Conference champ is ludicrous to the Nth degree.

The Bulls, to their credit, will scrap, the same way they did in forcing Boston to seven games in the opening series last season. But we all know this is LeBron’s year and getting a call against James in the final minutes of a close game is damn near impossible.

Cleveland’s issues are all chemistry related – how to run the offense with James back in the mix after resting since April, how many minutes to play Shaquille O’Neal. It’ll be interesting to see how Shaq and Zydrunas Ilgauskas divide time, plus how intent the Cavs will be on stopping Derrick Rose. Three of the four regular-season games between the teams went under. Cleveland wants the ball in James’s hands every possession and doesn’t push the ball a lot.

Interesting statistic: Forward Luol Deng (66) and reserve guard Kirk Hinrich (85) both had more steals this year than Derrick Rose (57).

Prediction: Cavaliers in four

Charlotte Bobcats (+700) vs. Orlando Magic (-1000) (Magic won season series 3-1)

The Bobcats finished with a flourish, grabbing the No. 7 seed by winning nine of their last 12 in the regular season. But seven of those nine victories came at the expense of teams that have pretty much cashed it in already.

More importantly, any chance Charlotte has of making this series even remotely competitive depends on the health of several key rotation players – Stephen Jackson (hamstring), Gerald Wallace (shoulder), Larry Hughes (toe) and Tyrus Thomas (thumb) are all ailing.

Orlando just needs to pay a little more attention to things – last season the 76ers made life a little uncomfortable by taking the opening round to a sixth game before the Magic put the hammer down. Casting a substantial shadow in this series is the rumor that Charlotte coach Larry Brown is getting restless again and is eyeing another stint with the 76ers.

Bettors should take a hard look at the totals. The under and over each hit twice in the four regular-season games, but one of the games needed to go overtime for the over to cash. Brown is likely to try to play this series at a snail’s pace and keep the games in the 80s.

Interesting statistic: Charlotte was the No. 1 defensive team in the league this season, holding opponents to 93.8 points per game.

Prediction: Orlando in four

Milwaukee Bucks (+550) vs. Atlanta Hawks (-725) (Hawks won season series 2-1)

Losing Andrew Bogut late in the season didn’t stop the Bucks cold in their tracks, but it did force them to alter their style of play. Without Bogut (maybe the NBA’s most improved player this season) Scott Skiles has re-tooled the Bucks’ offense on the fly. Milwaukee now relies on isolations and high screens, forcing opponents to play 20 seconds of defense before a shot goes up.

Teams with disciplined defenses and half-decent bigs (Cleveland, Boston, Orlando) can deal with that without much problem, but Atlanta is man-up club that relies on athletic ability and that gives the Bucks half a shot to take this series to six. Atlanta has troubles on the front line, where undersized Al Horford plays bigger than he really is, but Milwaukee doesn’t have anything to exploit that.

At some point Joe Johnson, Jamal Crawford, Josh Smith and Mike Bibby will take control of the series offensively and wear down the Bucks. Milwaukee’s chances of stealing one in Atlanta are slim.

Interesting statistic: Atlanta’s starters missed a total of only nine games to injury this season.

Prediction: Atlanta in five

Miami Heat (+155) vs. Boston Celtics (-175) (Celtics won season series 3-0)

For 81 games, Doc Rivers said the Celtics would be fine come playoff time. Then before Game 82 last night, he said he doesn’t know what to expect. Huh? Looks like Rivers is finally starting to either realize or admit that the Celtics’ problems run deeper than just getting healthy.

Boston’s hopes of playing into late May are directly proportionate to the strength in Kevin Garnett’s knees. Without him at peak efficiency (and right now that’s at about 65-70 percent of what he was when the Celtics won the title two years ago) this team goes down hard even if it finds a way past Dwyane Wade and the Heat.

Wade and the Heat have made a nice recovery from a slow start and come into this series with an 18-4 record since March 2. Last season Miami pushed Atlanta to a seventh game in the opening series when Wade went off and couldn’t be handled after a sluggish Game 1.

Interesting statistic: The Celtics were 25th in the league in rebounding this season.

Prediction: Boston in six

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**Udog** · 04-17-2010, 04:31 AM

NBA

Saturday, April 17

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Pick 'n' Roll: Today's best NBA bets
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Chicago Bulls at Cleveland Cavaliers (-11, 191.5)

Can the Bulls shock the world and knock off the top-seeded Cavs? No chance in hell. Can they cover in the first game in their playoff series? That’s the real question.

Cleveland hasn’t played a meaningful game for the better part of a month. The Bulls, on the other hand, has been playing elimination games for over a week.

So can the Cavs go from zero to all out in Game 1?

''We don't have time for a game or two. There are no excuses right now; we're going to go out and play. Guys that are comfortable will be in the game,'' LeBron James told the Akron Beacon Journal. ''We expect everyone that has a uniform on to be ready to play. . . . It's the playoffs.''

Shaquille O’Neal will play for the first time in almost eight weeks and his teammates have made a lot of noise about how good the Diesel is looking in practice.

The Cavs crushed their opponents for the first two rounds of the playoffs last season. And even though they may be a little rusty, they should have no trouble building and holding a big lead against the Bulls.

Pick: Cleveland

Miami Heat at Boston Celtics (-4, 185)

Doc Rivers thinks it’s time for him to leave Boston. Better to leave the city before things really go south next season. But there’s still this season for the Celtics.

Green Machine backers believe a veteran team can squeeze out a little bit more energy for a big postseason game and all those problems that were so apparent in the regular season will just disappear.

Bettors shouldn’t be so blind. The postseason isn’t suddenly going to give Paul Pierce’s first step back, renew the team’s hustle on defense or make Nate Robinson into an ideal backup point guard.

Things in Miami aren’t nearly as gloomy. Dwyane Wade is healthy and playing team-oriented ball. Miami's offense no longer involves clear outs for the Flash every time down the court.

While the Heat may not cover in the first game against the Celtics, they will work hard at pushing the ball up the court to test Boston’s transition defense. Expect a higher-scoring contest in Game 1.

Pick: Over

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**Udog** · 04-17-2010, 04:32 AM

NHL
Long Sheet

Saturday, April 17

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BOSTON (39-31-0-13, 91 pts.) at BUFFALO (46-28-0-9, 101 pts.) - 4/17/2010, 1:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
BUFFALO is 11-10-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
14 of 20 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+7.3 Units)

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MONTREAL (40-33-0-10, 90 pts.) at WASHINGTON (54-16-0-13, 121 pts.) - 4/17/2010, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 6-7 (+0.5 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 7-6-0 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.4 Units)

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LOS ANGELES (46-27-0-10, 102 pts.) at VANCOUVER (50-28-0-5, 105 pts.) - 4/17/2010, 10:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
VANCOUVER is 8-5-0 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
8 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.1 Units)

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**Udog** · 04-17-2010, 04:33 AM

NHL

Saturday, April 17

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
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1:00 PM
BOSTON vs. BUFFALO
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boston's last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games when playing Buffalo
Buffalo is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Buffalo's last 5 games at home

7:00 PM
MONTREAL vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Montreal's last 7 games on the road
Montreal is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Montreal
Washington is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

10:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. VANCOUVER
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 5 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
Los Angeles is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
Vancouver is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Vancouver's last 7 games

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**Udog** · 04-17-2010, 04:34 AM

NHL

Saturday, April 17

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What bettors need to know: NHL Saturday playoffs
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Montreal Canadiens at Washington Capitals (-325, 6)

The President's Trophy champion Capitals need a win over Montreal Saturday to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole in the opening round of the playoffs.

The Canadiens stunned Washington 3-2 in overtime Thursday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. Tomas Plekanec scored the game-winner 13 minutes into the extra session after Scott Gomez tied the game with 13 minutes remaining in regulation.

What's wrong with Ovie?

Rumors are swirling that Caps sniper Alexander Ovechkin isn't 100 percent healthy.

The Russian superstar was held pointless in his final regular season game to lose out on both the league goal and point titles and did not register a single shot on goal in Thursday's game.

That's saying something, considering he fired a league-leading 368 shots on goal during the regular season.

In Ovechkin's defense, he did have five shots blocked. He was also shadowed by Habs defenseman Jaroslav Spacek throughout the contest.

"He didn't play good," Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said flatly. "They gapped up real well on him, but I don't think Alex played very well."

Adding fuel to the injury rumors is the fact that Ovechkin recently brought his personal trainer over from Russia.

Backing it up

Plekanec stirred the pot a bit before the series began, saying Washington goalie Jose Theodore wasn't exactly Martin Brodeur or Ryan Miller.

He then went out and picked the corner behind Theodore to win Game 1 in OT.

Plekanec backed off on his statement after Thursday's game.

"I never said anything bad about their goaltending," he said. "I said they had really good goalies and they proved it."

Theodore laughed it off as well.

"It was just to set up the mood for the playoffs," said Theodore, a former Canadiens star. "Tomas is a great player."

Slow starters

Washington is no stranger to a slow start in the playoffs. Last year, the Caps lost their first two games to the Rangers before rallying to win four of the next five contests and advance to the second round.

Caps forward Nicklas Backstrom said he and his teammates won't panic after losing Game 1.

"I think we didn't play as good as we could, and hopefully we can talk about it tomorrow and get ready for Saturday," he said. "It's just the first game, and we have to talk about what we did wrong and get ready again."

Trends

If you're looking for any postseason history between the Caps and Habs, you won't find any. This year marks the first time the teams have met in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Thursday was the fourth game of the last six meetings between Washington and Montreal to go to overtime.

Washington is still 41-18 in its last 59 games overall and 71-30 in its last 101 at home.

Los Angeles Kings at Vancouver Canucks (-177, 5)

The Canucks have an opportunity to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference quarterfinals when they host the Kings.

Vancouver won Thursday's series opener 3-2 in overtime. Mikael Samuelsson won the game with his second goal of the contest, scoring nine minutes into OT. The goal came a few minutes after Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo made a game-saving stop, sweeping the puck off his own goal line.

That's more like it

Vancouver was mediocre in the final month of the regular season, losing seven of its last 13 games. But the Canucks were back on top of their game to start the playoffs, outshooting Los Angeles 44-27 in Game 1. They also avenged an 8-3 loss to the Kings in the last meeting between the teams on April 1.

"It was a good performance," said forward Henrik Sedin, who set up Samuelsson for the winning goal. "We played pretty well. We got back to being focused defensively, and didn't give up much at all. It was really good."

Quick thinking

The Kings’ goaltending was seen as a bit of a question mark going into the series, considering Jonathan Quick was winless in his last eight regular-season starts and had never experienced the postseason.

Quick answered those questions in Game 1, however, nearly stealing the game for the Kings with a strong performance.

"I thought he played excellent, gave us a chance," Kings forward Ryan Smyth said. "He stood tall on some of the scrambles in front of the net. He was really effective. It is a confidence-booster for all of us. We believe in him and we believe in this hockey team."

Strength against strength

Vancouver had the second-best home record in the NHL this season, with its 30-8-3 mark ranking only behind Washington.

But the Kings were excellent on the road, tying the Sharks for the second-best mark on the highway with a 24-14-3 record.

"Just because you have home ice doesn't mean you're guaranteed to win," Vancouver defenseman Shane O'Brien said. "If anything, it does put a little more pressure on us at home."

Bad Alberts

The Canucks might be without defenseman Andrew Alberts for Game 2.

Alberts was assessed a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct Thursday for hitting Kings forward Brad Richardson from behind.

Alberts saw 8:25 of ice time before being ejected midway through the second period.

Trends

The last four Kings/Canucks games in Vancouver have gone under the total, and five of the last six overall.

Los Angeles is 1-6 in its last seven games against the Canucks, and has lost its last five trips to Vancouver.

The favorite is 5-1 in the last six meetings.

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**Udog** · 04-17-2010, 04:35 AM

NHL

Saturday, April 17

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Ice picks: Today's best NHL bets
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Montreal Canadiens at Washington Capitals (-350, 6)

If the Capitals are as pissed off as their fans were following Thursday’s upset loss in the Game 1, the Canadiens could be in for a long night Saturday.

Friday morning, links to this distraught Caps fan (below) were passed around the office like influenza. And if you bet on Washington, shelling out a fat -278 for the NHL’s top team, you were probably feeling the same way.

The Capitals fell 3-2 in overtime to Montreal after peppering Canadiens keeper Jaroslav Halak with 47 shots – none of which came from star forward Alexander Ovechkin. He finished the game with goose eggs in his stats columns for the second straight game, going back to the 4-3 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins in the regular season finale.

“He didn’t play well,” Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said of Ovechkin to reporters after the game. “When you get (47) shots on goal and you have four power plays and Ovechkin doesn’t get any. They took him away pretty good, but I just don’t think he was very good tonight.”

Keeping Ovechkin and the Capitals explosive offense under wraps will be even tougher with Game 1’s disappointment still lingering inside the Verizon Center. The best advice for Habs backers is to run and hide Saturday night.

Pick: Washington

Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres (-155, 5)

Thursday’s 2-1 win for the Buffalo Sabres in Game 1 didn’t catch many hockey fans off guard. Everyone expected a slowed-down, grind-it-out matchup between these clubs, and that’s just what they got.

With goaltenders like Ryan Miller and Tuukka Rask making a combined 68 saves in Game 1, NHL bettors should find a comfortable chair for the rest of the series because it will be more of the same Saturday night.

“Low-scoring matches are how this (Boston-Buffalo regular season) has been,” Rask told the media following Saturday’s 2-1 final that played under the 5-goal total. “We just have to push more pucks by (Miller).”

Boston and Buffalo have stayed under the number in four of their last six contests with the other two games pushing with the 5-goal total. Books have already moved Saturday’s total from 5.5 to 5 goals, which should still give total bettors enough of an inclination as to where this one is going.

Pick: Under

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**Udog** · 04-17-2010, 04:36 AM

MLB

Saturday, April 17

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Trend Report
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1:05 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. WASHINGTON
Milwaukee is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Washington
Milwaukee is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Milwaukee
Washington is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home

1:05 PM
HOUSTON vs. CHI CUBS
Houston is 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs
Houston is 1-12 SU in its last 13 games
Chi Cubs are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games at home
Chi Cubs are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games

1:05 PM
TEXAS vs. NY YANKEES
Texas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Texas is 4-8 SU in their last 12 games when playing NY Yankees
NY Yankees are 16-3 SU in their last 19 games at home
NY Yankees are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games

1:07 PM
LA ANGELS vs. TORONTO
LA Angels are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games on the road
LA Angels are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games
Toronto is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Angels
Toronto is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games

1:10 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. MINNESOTA
Kansas City is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Kansas City is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Minnesota is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Kansas City
Minnesota is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games at home

4:05 PM
BALTIMORE vs. OAKLAND
Baltimore is 1-12 SU in its last 13 games when playing Oakland
Baltimore is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Oakland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Oakland is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games when playing Baltimore

4:10 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. LA DODGERS
San Francisco is 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing LA Dodgers
San Francisco is 3-7 SU in their last 10 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
LA Dodgers are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games when playing at home against San Francisco
LA Dodgers are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing San Francisco

4:10 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. CLEVELAND
Chi White Sox are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing Cleveland
Chi White Sox are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games
Cleveland is 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox
Cleveland is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games

4:10 PM
NY METS vs. ST. LOUIS
NY Mets are 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
NY Mets are 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
St. Louis is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games at home
St. Louis is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

7:05 PM
FLORIDA vs. PHILADELPHIA
Florida is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Florida is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing Florida
Philadelphia is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games

7:05 PM
CINCINNATI vs. PITTSBURGH
Cincinnati is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Cincinnati is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
Pittsburgh is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games when playing Cincinnati

7:10 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. BOSTON
Tampa Bay is 6-11-1 SU in its last 18 games ,on the road
Tampa Bay is 0-4-1 SU in its last 5 games ,when playing on the road against Boston
Boston is 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games ,at home
Boston is 4-8-1 SU in its last 13 games ,

7:10 PM
COLORADO vs. ATLANTA
Colorado is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Colorado is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing Colorado
Atlanta is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Colorado

8:35 PM
ARIZONA vs. SAN DIEGO
Arizona is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Arizona is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games on the road
San Diego is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games when playing Arizona

9:10 PM
DETROIT vs. SEATTLE
Detroit is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Detroit is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Seattle
Seattle is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Seattle is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

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**Udog** · 04-17-2010, 04:37 AM

MLB

Saturday, April 17

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Hot Lines: Today's best MLB bets
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Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox (-130, 9)

The Red Sox had defense in mind this offseason. Management resisted the urge to grab a big bat and signed two studs to improve the club’s play on the diamond instead.

But now the Sox have to deal with two of their outfielders missing time and maybe even visiting the disabled list.

Left fielder Jacoby Ellsbury is dealing with a sharp pain because of bruised ribs and Mike Cameron was scratched late from Thursday’s game because of an abdominal strain. The Boston Herald reported that Cameron was taken to a hospital after the game to check for a ruptured appendix.

Boston backers shouldn’t be happy to see Jeremy Hermida and Bill Hall patrolling left and center field for any long period of time.

Pick: Rays

Florida Marlins at Philadelphia Phillies (-115, 9.5)

We normally don’t like to talk too much about starting pitchers in Hot lines, especially this early in the season, but Ricky Nolasco is forcing our hand.

There’s a good possibility the Florida hurler is allergic to April. Despite a strong finish to last season, Nolasco is putting up dreary April numbers for a third straight year.

It looks like the books are still showing the kid some respect, but pricing the Phils this cheap at home is a mistake. Philadelphia has scored five or more runs in eight of its nine games this season.

That should be enough Saturday against the Marlins.

Pick: Phillies

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Announcement

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

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

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