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**StarDust Bum** · 04-21-2010, 04:11 PM

Playoff home teams wise wagers tonight?

Orlando and Dallas each won their opening first round game and look to build a solid 2-0 lead in their series before taking to the road for a pair. Both teams have been a solid investment of late; however both are matched against division foes that know them well. Can they continue to win or do two coaching legends come up with ways to not only cover the spread, but derail plans of sweeping the initial home encounters.

Coach we’re paying attention, really

The Magic rather easily built a 22-point in the third quarter against Charlotte, before the Bobcats got with the program and started to play closer to their abilities.

Charlotte was too excited to start Game 1 – “We were a little nervous starting off the game, and they knew it,” forward Gerald Wallace said.
But with some well-timed coaxing from coach Larry Brown, Charlotte battled back to 85-80 by being the aggressor and getting Dwight Howard off his game with extremely physical play.

Howard admitted to receiving little sleep the night before, anxious to start the playoffs and he played liked someone tired and irritable with not enough time on the pillow. Howard had as many fouls as points (5), playing less than 28 minutes. “Superman” was less than super with only seven boards and took silly fouls.

“Their big guys are going to hit him every chance they get. And if he gets one foul retaliating, they’ve done their job,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. “He can’t get any of those. He’s just going to have to understand no matter how many times they hit him, he can’t hit back. We need him on the floor.”

Orlando came up just short of covering the 9.5-point spread with 98-89 victory and is 21-11 ATS off a home win this season.

The Bobcats are expected to be much more relaxed this time with Wallace and Stephen Jackson as the scoring leaders. Charlotte is 18-9 ATS versus good three point shooting teams (36 percent or higher) and must do a better job containing Jameer Nelson, who was 4-8 from beyond the arc and scored 24 of his 32 points in the second half. Nelson missed the first three rounds of the playoffs a year ago and wants to show his skills this spring.

The Magic are 18-5 ATS off two or more consecutive home wins and are 20-3 and 15-7-1 ATS since the beginning of March. Sportsbook.com has them as 8.5-point pick with total of 186 and they are 17-7 UNDER off a no-cover where they won straight up as a favorite.

If Orlando loses focus again, Charlotte will try to sneak right in and Jordanaires are 22-9 ATS after covering two of last three against the spread and are 16-5 OVER playing only their second game in a week.

In Dirk we trust

It’s often been said in NBA circles that if Dirk Nowitzki is your best player, the chances of NBA title are remote. In his career, Nowitzki has had his postseason up and downs, however has been a much steadier performer in recent years. His Game 1 effort against oft-seen rival San Antonio, deep in the heart of Texas, was close to perfection.

Nowitzki scored 36 points on 12-14 shooting, wore out the nets sinking all 12 free throw attempts and grabbed seven boards while committing a single turnover. “Sometimes,” Nowitzki said, “you have one of those nights where the basket is big.”

The Mavericks have now defeated the Spurs six straight times on their home floor (5-1 ATS) and were the bigger and more aggressive team on Sunday. Erick Dampier and Brendan Haywood out-muscled and out-hustled San Antonio, contributing to 45-37 edge on the glass.

Richard Jefferson was brought to San Antonio to make them younger on the wings and add speed and quickness. For most of the season he’s looked lost in black uniform and he was non-factor again with four points on four shots. The Spurs are piteous 9-23 ATS revenging a road loss the last two seasons.

Coach Gregg Popovich’s defensive strategy might have to be altered if Nowitzki starts Game 2 where he left off. San Antonio played the German forward straight up with approximately five different defenders, eschewing the double team, trying to cover the other Mavs.

Tony Parker lacked his usual zip to the rim and the Spurs ball-handling was atrocious with 17 turnovers, 11 in the opening 12 minutes.

Dallas is a 3.5-point home favorite and coach Rick Carlisle leaned heavy on his starters, with only three subs seeing significant time. The Mavericks have built six-game winning streak (5-0-1 ATS) and despite a yearlong of bad angles, they are 18-7 ATS playing with two days rest since last season.

San Antonio lacked their usual crispness and is 1-8 ATS versus good passing teams, averaging 23 or more assists a game. The Spurs are 23-9 OVER in revenge-mode off a road loss.

Both NBA playoff battles are on TNT, with the first game at 7:05 Eastern.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-21-2010, 04:13 PM

Inside the Paint - Wednesday

During last year’s postseason, most pundits were predicting and hoping for a Lakers-Cavaliers matchup in the NBA Finals. Unfortunately for them, Los Angeles did its part by winning the Western Conference but Cleveland was unseated in the Eastern Conference by Orlando. The Magic eventually fell to the Lakers in six games but they did earn some respect, or did they?
It’s hard not to like the Cavs and Lakers, considering they boast two of the best players in LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, and they both have an overwhelming amount of size and depth too. Even though those clubs are impressive, it’s hard to ignore how good Orlando and Dallas have been this season too.

The Magic and Mavericks represent the second seeds in the East and West respectively, and both clubs own 1-0 leads in their first round series. Will they go up 2-0 on Wednesday or can Charlotte and Orlando finally beat them?

Let’s take a closer look at the second installments.

**Charlotte at Orlando**

Orlando stopped Charlotte 98-89 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals last Sunday after nearly blowing a 22-point lead. The Magic came out firing in the opener and wound up building a 59-43 at the break, plus they scored the first six points in the second-half too. While most would’ve expected the Bobcats to fold, they rallied instead with 10 straight points and only gave up 17 points in the third quarter. The game got much closer in the fourth quarter but the Magic continued to make clutch shots and free throws to hold on for the victory.

The Bobcats managed to cover as 10-point road underdogs, despite watching Orlando connect on 13 bombs from 3-point land. Along with the hot shooting, the key to the Magic’s win was the production from point guard Jameer Nelson, who finished with 32 points and six assists.

Stan Van Gundy’s bench also outscored Charlotte 28-16 in Game 1, as J.J. Redick (10) and Mickael Pietrus (14) combined for 24 of the points off the pine.

All-Star Gerald Wallace led Charlotte with 25 points and 17 rebounds in the loss but he didn’t get much help from the rest of his team. The Bobcats’ other offensive weapon, Stephen Jackson, tweaked his knee at the end of the first half in Game 1. He did return for the second half but he wasn’t on the court at the end of the game, when the margin was as tight as five points. He finished with 18 points and nine boards.

Oddsmakers dropped Orlando to a nine-point favorite for Game 2 despite its dominance over Charlotte. The Magic have won 11 of the past 13 games (6-6-1 ATS) against the Bobcats, including four of five this season. And Charlotte’s only victory this year happened when Orlando was on zero days rest with travel. As of this morning, a few books have dropped the number down to 8 1/2 points.

Does Larry Brown’s team have a legit chance to even up the series? If you’re backing Charlotte in this spot, you’re obviously looking at how the team played in the second-half against Orlando and not the first 24 minutes. Plus, you’re hoping that the Magic don’t shoot lights out from 3-point land again, which is something they’ve done all year. The Bobcats showed a lot of heart but they’re still outclassed in this spot on all levels.

If you’re going to lay the wood with Orlando, you have great reasons to do so. The Magic looked like they were going to post another double-digit home victory in Game 1 early before Dwight Howard got himself into foul trouble. The NBA’s best center finished with nine blocks, yet he only had five points and seven boards. Most would expect him to bounce back offensively, plus it’s hard to fade a team that has gone 35-7 SU and 23-17 ATS at Amway Arena. And it probably isn’t smart to bet on a Charlotte club that has only notched 13 wins on the road this year.

‘Over’ players caught some late big shots by Charlotte in Sunday’s contest and eight made free throws by Orlando down the stretch, which helped the combined 187 points barely slide ‘over’ the closing total of 186 ½. The line hovered between 186 and 187 late, so some ‘under’ players may’ve escaped a tough loss. The ‘over/under’ for Game 3 is sitting at 186.

TNT will provide national coverage of this contest at 7:05 p.m. EDT.

Game 3 in this best-of-seven series is slated for Saturday afternoon from Charlotte while Game 4 is set for Monday.

**San Antonio at Dallas**

If Dirk Nowitzki continues to play like he did in Dallas’ Game 1 win over San Antonio, then this series could be over in four games. The All-Star finished with 36 points on 12-of-14 shooting as the Mavericks stopped the Spurs 100-94 as 4 ½-point favorites in the opener.

The Spurs should be used to Nowitzki’s heroics by now, considering the German product has helped Dallas dominate the head-to-head series recently. During the regular season, the Mavs won three of four, plus they beat the Spurs in five games of last year’s opening round playoff series. During this 10-game span, the Mavs have covered every game they won (8-2 ATS) and that includes five straight at American Airlines Center.

You could make a case that the outcome in Game 1 should’ve been larger considering San Antonio’s performance. The Spurs turned the ball over 17 times, they were beaten on the glass (45-37) and they only earned 12 trips to the free throw line, opposed to 34 attempts from Dallas albeit the Hack-a-Damp (Erick Dampier) came into play in the second half.

Another key factor was the supporting cast for San Antonio, which was missing on Sunday. Manu Ginobili (26 points), Tim Duncan (27 points) and Tony Parker (18 points, 4 assists) kept the club in the game but efforts from George Hill and Richard Jefferson (4) were easily forgettable. Head coach Greg Popovich wasn’t happy at all with that pair and others. "I think we have to have more people step up and play worth a damn," the Spurs coach said. "We had a lot of guys play like dogs."

Even though Dirk went off for the Mavs in Game 1, he did get help from Caron Butler (22 points) and Jason Kidd (13 points, 11 assists). And it should be noted that Shawn Marion (9 points) and Jason Terry (5 points) didn’t play their best basketball either despite the win.

Similar to the Magic-Bobcats point-spread, the number on this game dropped as well. Dallas is now listed as a 3 ½-point favorite for Game 2. Despite the cover on Sunday, the Mavs have burned gamblers with a 12-29 ATS mark at home this season. However, it’s hard to ignore that Dallas is 9-2 both SU and ATS in its last 11.

Most books had a closing total of 194 for Game 1, which resulted in a push. Considering the first quarter saw only 41 points on the scoreboard, ‘over’ players were probably fortunate not to lose. The total for Game 2 is listed at 194 ½ points at most books.

Gamblers expecting San Antonio to make a comeback and the win the best-of-seven battle can grab a series price of plus-220 (Bet $100 to win $220).

Tip-off is scheduled for 9:35 p.m. EDT.

The two teams will head to San Antonio for Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-21-2010, 04:14 PM

Diamond Trends - Wednesday

Tigers at Angels – The Angels are 6-0 since June 14, 2009 when Jered Weaver starts at home after more strike outs than hits allowed for a net profit of $600.

Marlins at Astros – The Marlins are 5-0 since May 24, 2009 when Josh Johnson starts vs a team that has won at least their last two games and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $515.

Yankees at Athletics – The Yankees are 7-0 since June 02, 2009 as a 140+ favorite after a win in which they had 6 or fewer hits for a net profit of $700.

Royals at Blue Jays – The Royals are 10-0 since August 13, 2009 on the road when they are off a loss in which they held the lead for a net profit of $1370. The Royals are 5-0 since August 06, 2009 after playing as a dog and it is the last game of a three game series when they lost the first two for a net profit of $700. The Blue Jays are 6-0 since September 11, 2009 after a one run win for a net profit of $750.

Phillies at Braves – The Phillies are 8-0 since September 08, 2009 after a one run loss for a net profit of $800. The Braves are 0-7 since April 12, 2005 when Tim Hudson starts after more walks than strike outs and they won in his previous start for a net profit of $885 when playing against. The Braves are 0-7 since April 14, 2009 after a win in which they left fewer than 10 men on base for a net profit of $930 when playing against.

Cardinals at Diamondbacks – The Cardinals are 0-8 since July 21, 2009 when they are off a loss in which they held the lead and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $940 when playing against. The League is 0-9 since June 08, 2009 as a 140+ dog after a win in which they had more than ten team-left-on-base as a favorite for a net profit of $900 when playing against. The Diamondbacks are 0-7 since May 27, 2009 as a 140+ dog after scoring 6+ runs for a net profit of $700 when playing against.

Orioles at Mariners – The Orioles are 0-9 since September 23, 2009 on the road when they lost the last two games their starter started for a net profit of $900 when playing against. The Mariners are 9-0 since June 03, 2009 as a favorite after a win and it is the last game of the series for a net profit of $900. The Mariners are 7-0 since June 07, 2009 as a favorite when they are off a win in which they came back from a deficit and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $700.

Cubs at Mets – The Cubs are 8-0 since August 23, 2009 vs a team that has won at least their last two games for a net profit of $990.

Rockies at Nationals – The Rockies are 9-0 since August 13, 2009 as a favorite after a win in which they had fewer team-left-on-base than their opponent as a favorite for a net profit of $900. The League is 8-0 since August 05, 2009 as a road favorite when their starter went less than four innings in his last start after a win for a net profit of $800. The Nationals are 7-0 since June 06, 2009 within 20 cents of pickem after a loss in which they used 5+ pitchers for a net profit of $760.

Giants at Padres – The Giants are 10-0 since April 19, 2009 after a loss in which they had a higher team-left-on-base than their opponent as a favorite for a net profit of $1060. The Giants are 9-0 since May 05, 2009 on the road within 20 cents of pickem after a loss in which they had 6 or fewer hits for a net profit of $910. The Giants are 9-1 since April 19, 2009 after being shutout for a net profit of $865. The Padres are 6-0 since August 08, 2009 as a favorite vs a team that has lost at least their last two games and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $600.

Brewers at Pirates – The Pirates are 0-9 since August 12, 2005 when Zach Duke starts as a dog after the team won his last two starts for a net profit of $900 when playing against. The Pirates are 0-8 since August 05, 2009 within 20 cents of pickem vs a team that has won at least their last two games for a net profit of $800 when playing against. The Pirates are 0-7 since April 19, 2009 when Zach Duke starts after going at least 6 innings and giving up no home runs and they won in his previous start for a net profit of $715 when playing against..

Rangers at Red Sox – The League is 0-11 since October 01, 2009 as a 140+ dog when they lost by one run in their starter's last start for a net profit of $1100 when playing against. The Rangers are 0-9 since August 11, 2009 as a dog when they scored two or fewer runs for their starter in his last start for a net profit of $900 when playing against. The Red Sox are 10-0 since April 11, 2006 when Josh Beckett starts at home in April for a net profit of $1000.

Dodgers at Reds – The Dodgers are 7-0 since June 13, 2009 after a loss in which they had at least five more team-left-on-base than their opponent for a net profit of $770. The Dodgers are 6-0 since June 20, 2009 on the road after a loss in which they drew 5+ walks and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $655. The Reds are 6-0 since September 01, 2009 within 20 cents of pickem after scoring 6+ runs for a net profit of $605.

Indians at Twins – The Twins are 7-0 since August 24, 2009 as a home favorite when they are off a win in which they never trailed for a net profit of $700.

Rays at White Sox – The Rays are 0-7 since August 12, 2009 after a loss in which they were shut out in the last 6 innings and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $710 when playing against. The White Sox are 0-7 since July 04, 2009 within 20 cents of pickem after a win in which they allowed 6 or fewer hits and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $725 when playing against.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-21-2010, 04:15 PM

Early Season Surprises

Almost three weeks into the baseball season, several last-place teams from 2009 have gotten off to fast starts out of the gate. We all know that this is an extremely long season and these teams will fall back to the pack eventually. However, there's no reason to ignore these clubs while they're playing well if it benefits bettors. We'll take a look at four squads that have impressed so far and have profited in the process.

Oakland Athletics

The A's finished at the bottom of the AL West last season, but with several Angels defecting and the Rangers and Mariners likely taking a step back, Oakland has a shot to surprise. Bob Geren's team has done that so far by winning nine of their first 14 games.

Oakland's offense was dreadful last season, but this season the lineup has produced the most runs inside the division with 62. Despite the high number of runs plated, the A's have turned into a terrific 'under' play lately by cashing it in seven of the last eight games. The key has been Oakland's pitching limiting opponents to four runs or less in 11 games (8-3).

The A's have re-worked their pitching staff by acquiring Ben Sheets from Milwaukee and getting Justin Duchscherer back after missing last season with an arm injury. Sheets was unable to win each of its first two starts against Felix Hernandez and Jered Weaver, but bounced back by shutting down the Orioles on April 15. Duchscherer rebounded from a mediocre outing against the Mariners in his season debut to post consecutive solid starts versus Seattle and Baltimore. The pitching staff ranks second in baseball with a 2.90 ERA, just one of clubs owning an ERA below 3.00 (Cardinals, 2.42).

The Yankees invade the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum for three games prior to a visit from the Indians this weekend. The A's are 6-3 at home through the first nine by the Bay, while going 6-0 as a favorite of less than $1.60. Oakland heads out east for a six-game road trip to Tampa Bay and Toronto, as the A's hold plenty of value over the next few weeks.

Washington Nationals

The Nats have seen little success since moving from Montreal in 2005 as this club has continuously finished in the cellar of the NL East. Washington hasn't had it easy this season by facing the two-time defending NL Champion Phillies six times already. However, the Nats are holding their own while possessing an over .500 record.

Washington's offense wasn't its problem last season, instead a below-average pitching staff did in the Nationals. Through the first few weeks, the pitching has seen its ups and downs, allowing double-digit runs on three occasions. The Nats have been inconsistent with totals, going on several streaks this season, but are riding a 3-1 'under' run after Monday's 5-2 victory over Colorado.

Jim Riggleman's club is a solid 6-2 the last eight as an underdog (+7.8 units), including victories over Johan Santana, Yovani Gallardo, and Aaron Cook. The lineup has picked up its scoring after a slow start, tallying at least five runs in six straight games.

Washington's bullpen has improved after finishing dead-last in 2009 as ex-Pirates closer Matt Capps leads the National League with six saves. The rotation has seen little progression despite the signing of Jason Marquis from Colorado. The veteran righty owns a bloated ERA of 20.52 after allowing seven earned runs without recording an out in an 11-7 loss to the Brewers.

The road doesn't get easier for the Nats as they host the Rockies and Dodgers over the next five days. Washington travels to Chicago and Florida next week with opportunities to cash as a substantial underdog. The Nats took six of the final nine meetings with the Marlins last season after dropping the first nine matchups.

Pittsburgh Pirates

The NL Central seems like the Cardinals' division to lose, as the other five teams are jockeying for position. The Cubs and Brewers have each struggled out of the chute, but the Pirates have been treading water so far with a pair of home series victories over the Dodgers and Reds.

Pittsburgh will ultimately struggle away from PNC Park, going 2-4 in six away contests at San Francisco and Arizona. The Pirates are a strong 4-1 as a home underdog, while playing the next three games at PNC against the Brewers. The offense has been consistent at home, averaging 5.16 runs/game, as the Bucs have scored two runs or less just once.

The pitching staff ranks last in ERA at 6.34, but Zach Duke is 2-0 with an ERA of 2.37. The Pirates are 3-0 in Duke's three starts, as the bullpen cost him a chance at a third victory against the Reds, but Lastings Milledge came through with a walk-off hit to lock up the win.

Pittsburgh has a tough road ahead after the Milwaukee series, heading on a ten-game trip to Houston, Milwaukee, and Los Angeles. Five of the Pirates' six road games have finished 'over' the total, while beating Matt Cain and Dan Haren as substantial underdogs.

San Diego Padres

The Padres started the season slow at 2-4, but coming home has turned things around with a 6-2 run. The highlight for the light-hitting Pads was dropping 17 runs on Jair Jurrjens and the Braves in the home opener at Petco Park on April 12.

San Diego's pitching has picked up over the last five games, limiting opponents to eight runs while winning each contest. The Padres needed to improve within the division and have done so with seven victories in the first eleven matchups against NL West foes.

Subtracting the 17-run effort against Atlanta, the Padres are averaging 3.41 runs/game in the other 12 contests. San Diego's pitching has carried them despite losing Jake Peavy to the White Sox last season and Chris Young to injury. The Padres own an ERA of 3.48, which ranks fifth in baseball, while the bullpen sits in the ninth spot with a 3.11 ERA.

Following this home series against the Giants, the Padres will venture out of the NL West with road series at Cincinnati and Florida. San Diego returns to Petco Park on April 29 for a seven-game homestand with Milwaukee and Colorado, making for some nice underdog opportunites.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-21-2010, 04:16 PM

Wednesday's Ice Plays

If you want excitement, look no further than the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Out of 28 postseason tilts we’ve seen, 15 of them have been decided by just one goal. And the “chalk” hasn’t been a sure thing at all, evidenced by a 16-12 mark in the first round. Wednesday’s card offers up three pivotal games. Let’s take a look.

Capitals at Canadiens – 7:05 p.m. EDT

After two lackluster performances, Washington’s 5-1 victory in Game 3 as a $1.75 road favorite looked like the team that won the Presidents’ Trophy. The Capitals peppered Jaroslav Halak for three goals on 13 shots, and took Carey Price to task for two lamp lighters in the 23 SOG he saw on Monday night.

The Caps also appear to have found their goalie for the playoffs in Simeon Varlamov (pretty sure this happened last year as well). Varlamov stopped 26 of 27 SOG in Game 3 and 19 of 22 shots fired his way on Saturday night.

What does have to be an area of concern for Bruce Boudreau and company is how they aren’t performing on special teams. Washington led the league on the power play by converting 25.2 percent of its chances with the advantage. In three playoff games, the Capitals have failed to light the lamp once on 14 chances.

Montreal needs something to get itself back into the series. One likely move will be having Price start Game 4 after responding well on Monday after coming off the bench cold. But they should also be getting back pivot Glen Metropolit for the second straight game. Metropolit didn’t factor into Monday’s tilt because he played just five minutes and spent one shift on the power play. Look for that to change on Wednesday since he’s scored 10 goals on the advantage to lead the club.

Most sportsbook are expecting the Caps to take a coming 3-1 lead in this best-of-seven series by installing them as $2.03 road favorites (risk $203 to win $100) with a total of six. The Canadiens can be backed for healthy plus-186 (risk $100 to win $186) return to even the series at two wins all.

What will keep gamblers from backing the Habs is the fact that they’re 2-4 in their last six games as home pups with the ‘over’ going 3-2-1. They aren’t even worth taking on the puck line in those games, evidenced by a 1-5 mark.

Washington has lost three of its last four games as a road favorite after winning as a road “chalk.” The ‘over’ is 3-1 in those tests.

Sabres at Bruins – 7:05 p.m. EDT

If Buffalo wasn’t worried about its first round showdown before, they are now. The Sabres find themselves down two-games-to-one in their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal after a 2-1 setback as $1.15 road pups to Boston.

The Sabres picked up their lone goal from Mike Grier out of his seven shots on goal. Not to belittle Grier in this spot, this is a guy that scored 10 goals during the regular season and is mediocre on the attack. But he was the only Buffalo skater that appeared to give a damn on the stat sheet. Derek Roy (26 regular season goals) had just two SOG. Jason Pominville (24 regular season goals) also had just two shots on Tuukka Rask. Ryan Miller was his usual solid self in goal with 27 saves on the 29 shots he saw.

It certainly appears that Buffalo is sorely missing the likes of Thomas Vanek on the ice. Vanek had a team-high 28 goals and 25 assists in the regular season. And there isn’t anything to say he’ll be on the ice for Wednesday’s tilt since he was nowhere to be found during the morning skate on Tuesday.

Boston doesn’t have the offensive firepower (Saturday’s five-goal output was an aberration) to light up the scoreboard like they used to do last season. But that doesn’t matter when you have a netminder like Rask stopping 94 percent of the shots coming at him in the playoffs.

The majority of betting outlets are posting the Bruins as $1.25 home favorites with a total of five. Gamblers can side with the Sabres in this game at plus-115.

Boston has gone 7-6 as a home favorite against teams from the Northeast Division this season. While that doesn’t sound all that promising to the betting public, keep in mind they’re 3-1 in its last four games.

The Sabres aren’t going to give you much of anything in terms of backing them for Game 4. That’s because Buffalo is 2-5 in games where they were listed as a road pup after losing as a road underdog in its previous contest.

Canucks at Kings – 10:05 p.m. EDT

You can almost hear the cries of being cheated emanating out of the Pacific Northwest after the Canucks lost 5-3 to Los Angeles as $1.15 road favorites in Game 3 of their Western Conference Quarterfinal.

The complaints stem from Daniel Sedin’s score that was ruled to not be a goal after the NHL’s “War Room” decided that he kicked the puck past Jonathan Quick in the third period. Did Vancouver get jobbed in that spot? In my opinion, the goal reversal was justified. Besides, Sedin scored a legit goal about a minute later.

What the Canucks should be more concerned with is the fact that Roberto Luongo was lit up like a Christmas tree, yielding four goals on 12 shots. And Vancouver’s special teams awful on Monday night as they let the Kings score three goals on as many power plays. That has been a thorn in Alain Vigneault’s side in this series as LA has cashed in on seven of its 12 power plays in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Los Angeles has spread the wealth so far in the postseason with eight of its players visiting the red lamp district. Anze Kopitar has just one goal to his credit, while Michal Handzus and Fredrik Modin have each scored two goals.

Vancouver is getting the love from the oddsmakers, having been installed as a $1.20 road “chalk” with a total of five. The Kings can be head for a decent profit at plus-110.

The Canucks have only been posted as road favorites against the Pacific Division four times this season. They are 1-3 in those contests with the ‘over’ going 3-0-1.

LA has been a home pup against Northeast Division foes three times this year and has walked away victorious each time. The ‘over’ has gone 2-1 in those contests as well.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-21-2010, 04:18 PM

Playoff Results - First Round

First Round Results

Favorites have gone 12-11
Home teams have gone 12-11
The 'over' is 9-8-6 through 23 games
Favorites that have won are 5-7 on the puck-line

Home Visitor Time/Final Score ATS OVER/UNDER

Wed Apr 14, 2010
Penguins Senators (+180) 5-4 UNDERDOG OVER 5.5
Devils Flyers (+145) 2-1 UNDERDOG UNDER 5
Coyotes (+100) Red Wings 3-2 UNDERDOG PUSH 5
Sharks Avalanche (+200 2-1 UNDERDOG UNDER 5.5

Thu Apr 15, 2010
Capitals Canadiens (+240) 3-2 UNDERDOG UNDER 6
Sabres (-155) Bruins 2-1 FAVORITE UNDER 5
Canucks (-185) Kings 3-2 (OT) FAVORITE UNDER 5.5

Fri Apr 16, 2010
Penguins (-300) Senators 2-1 FAVORITE UNDER 5.5
Devils (-180) Flyers 5-3 FAVORITE OVER 5
Blackhawks Predators (+210) 4-1 UNDERDOG PUSH 5
Coyotes Red Wings (-135) 7-4 FAVORITE OVER 5
Sharks (-270) Avalanche 6-5 (OT) FAVORITE OVER 5.5

Sat Apr 17, 2010
Sabres Bruins (+135) 5-3 UNDERDOG OVER 5
Capitals (-360) Canadiens 6-5 (OT) FAVORITE OVER 6
Canucks Kings (+160) 3-2 (OT) UNDERDOG PUSH

Sun Apr 18, 2010
Red Wings Coyotes (+170) 4-2 UNDERDOG OVER 5
Flyers (-110) Devils 3-2 (OT) FAVORITE PUSH
Senators Penguins (-130) 4-2 FAVORITE OVER 5.5
Blackhawks (-280) Predators 2-0 FAVORITE UNDER 5
Avalanche (+125) Sharks 1-0 (OT) UNDERDOG UNDER 5.5

Mon Apr 19, 2010
Canadiens Capitals (-175) 2-1 FAVORITE UNDER 5
Bruins (-135) Sabres 5-1 FAVORITE PUSH 6
Kings (-105) Canucks 5-3 UNDERDOG OVER 5

Tue Apr 20, 2010
Red Wings Coyotes 6:30 p.m. EDT - -
Senators Penguins 7:00 p.m. EDT - -
Flyers Devils 7:30 p.m. EDT - -
Predators Blackhawks 9:00 p.m. EDT - -
Avalanche Sharks 10:00 p.m. EDT - -

Wed Apr 21, 2010
Canadiens Capitals 7:00 p.m. EDT - -
Bruins Sabres 7:00 p.m. EDT - -
Kings Canucks 10:00 p.m. EDT - -

Thu Apr 22, 2010
Penguins Senators 7:00 p.m. EDT - -
Devils Flyers 7:00 p.m. EDT - -
Predators Blackhawks 8:30 p.m. EDT - -
Sharks Avalanche 10:30 p.m. EDT - -

Fri Apr 23, 2010
Capitals Canadiens 7:00 p.m. EDT - -
Sabres Bruins 7:00 p.m. EDT - -
Canucks Kings 10:00 p.m. EDT - -
Coyotes Red Wings 10:00 p.m. EDT - -

Sat Apr 24, 2010
Blackhawks Predators 3:00 p.m. EDT - -
Senators Penguins 7:00 p.m. EDT - -
Avalanche Sharks TBD

**StarDust Bum** · 04-21-2010, 04:20 PM

Playoff Results - First Round

First Round Results

Home teams are 12-2
Favorites are 12-2 straight up
Favorites are 9-5 against the spread
The 'over/under' tally is 5-5-4

Home Visitor Time/Final Score ATS OVER/UNDER

Saturday Apr 17, 2010
Cleveland (-11) Chicago 96-83 FAVORITE UNDER 193.5
Atlanta (-8.5) Milwaukee 102-92 FAVORITE OVER 186.5
Boston (-4.5) Miami 85-76 FAVORITE UNDER 184.5
Denver (-6) Utah 126-113 FAVORITE OVER 209

Sunday Apr 18, 2010
L.A. Lakers (-7.5) Oklahoma City 87-79 FAVORITE UNDER 197
Orlando (-10) Charlotte 98-89 UNDERDOG PUSH 187
Dallas (-4.5) San Antonio 100-94 FAVORITE PUSH 194
Phoenix Portland (+9) 105-100 UNDERDOG PUSH 205

Monday Apr 19, 2010
Cleveland (-10.5) Chicago 112-102 FAVORITE OVER 191.5
Denver Utah (+6.5) 114-111 UNDERDOG OVER 213

Tuesday Apr 20, 2010
Atlanta (-7.5) Milwaukee 96-86 FAVORITE UNDER 188
Boston (-1) Miami 106-77 FAVORITE PUSH 183
Phoenix (-9) Portland 119-90 FAVORITE OVER 204
L.A. Lakers (-6) Oklahoma City 95-92 UNDERDOG UNDER 193

Wednesday Apr 21, 2010
Orlando Charlotte 7:00 p.m.
Dallas San Antonio 9:30 p.m.

Thursday Apr 22, 2010
Chicago Cleveland 7:00 p.m.
Oklahoma City L.A. Lakers 9:30 p.m.
Portland Phoenix 10:00 p.m.

Friday Apr 23, 2010
Miami Boston 7:00 p.m.
San Antonio Dallas 9:30 p.m.
Utah Denver 10:30 p.m.

Saturday Apr 24, 2010
Charlotte Orlando 2:00 p.m.
Portland Phoenix 4:30 p.m.
Milwaukee Atlanta 7:00 p.m.
Oklahoma City L.A. Lakers 9:30 p.m.

Sunday Apr 25, 2010
Miami Boston 1:00 p.m.
Chicago Cleveland 3:30 p.m.
San Antonio Dallas 7:00 p.m.
Utah Denver 9:30 p.m.

Announcement

The Bum's Wednesday's Best Bets !

The Bum's Wednesday's Best Bets !

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