Wednesday Trends and Indexes 4/28 (NBA, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

[Udog]

NBA


Wednesday, April 28

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8:00 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. ATLANTA
Milwaukee is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
Milwaukee is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games at home
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

10:30 PM
UTAH vs. DENVER
Utah is 3-7-2 ATS in its last 12 games when playing Denver
Utah is 4-1 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


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Udog]

NHL


Wednesday, April 28

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:00 PM
MONTREAL vs. WASHINGTON
Montreal is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Montreal's last 9 games on the road
Washington is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games
Washington is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games at home


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Udog]

MLB


Wednesday, April 28

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12:10 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. FLORIDA
San Diego is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Florida
San Diego is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Florida's last 8 games when playing at home against San Diego
Florida is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing San Diego

1:10 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. MILWAUKEE
Pittsburgh is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
Pittsburgh is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 6 games

1:10 PM
LA DODGERS vs. NY METS
The total has gone OVER in 17 of LA Dodgers's last 23 games
The total has gone OVER in 12 of LA Dodgers's last 17 games on the road
NY Mets are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
NY Mets are 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

2:10 PM
SEATTLE vs. KANSAS CITY
Seattle is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games when playing Kansas City
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Seattle's last 9 games when playing Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kansas City's last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Kansas City's last 23 games

2:20 PM
WASHINGTON vs. CHI CUBS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Washington's last 18 games when playing Chi Cubs
Chi Cubs are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games at home
Chi Cubs are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games

3:10 PM
ARIZONA vs. COLORADO
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona's last 6 games when playing Colorado
Arizona is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Colorado
Colorado is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 6 games when playing Arizona

3:45 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
Philadelphia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
San Francisco is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Francisco's last 5 games when playing Philadelphia

7:05 PM
CLEVELAND vs. LA ANGELS
Cleveland is 5-20 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Cleveland is 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
LA Angels are 8-4 SU in their last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Angels's last 6 games at home

7:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. DETROIT
Minnesota is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
Minnesota is 14-5 SU in its last 19 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games

7:05 PM
NY YANKEES vs. BALTIMORE
NY Yankees are 11-3 SU in their last 14 games when playing Baltimore
NY Yankees are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
Baltimore is 3-14 SU in its last 17 games
Baltimore is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against NY Yankees

7:07 PM
BOSTON vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Boston's last 12 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing Toronto
Toronto is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Toronto's last 7 games at home

7:10 PM
OAKLAND vs. TAMPA BAY
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oakland's last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
Oakland is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Tampa Bay's last 7 games at home
Tampa Bay is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games at home

8:05 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. TEXAS
Chi White Sox are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Chi White Sox's last 24 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Texas's last 6 games at home
Texas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

8:05 PM
CINCINNATI vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Cincinnati's last 14 games when playing on the road against Houston
Cincinnati is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Cincinnati
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games

8:15 PM
ATLANTA vs. ST. LOUIS
Atlanta is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of St. Louis's last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Udog]

NBA


Wednesday, April 28

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game of the day: Jazz at Nuggets
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Utah Jazz at Denver Nuggets (-7, 215)

Utah leads series 3-1.

Early line move

The early wise guy money has come in on the home favorite, pushing the opening line up from -6.5 to -7. The total has remained unchanged from the opener, sitting at 215.

Defenseless Denver

Denver did not play much defense down the stretch of the regular season, relying on forcing turnovers as opposed to forcing bad shots. Against Utah, the Nuggets defensive weaknesses have been exploited in each of the first four games of this series.

Utah shot 54 percent from inside the arc in the first three games of this series. They followed that up with a 61 percent shooting performance from two point range in their Game 4 blowout over the Nuggets.

And the Nuggets have been sending the Jazz to the free throw line, unable to avoid fouls. Utah has shot a whopping 152 free throw attempts – 38 per game – while taking a 3-1 series lead.

Denver’s reliance on creating turnovers defensively has failed miserably in this series. With Jazz All-Star guard Deron Williams controlling the flow of the offense, the Jazz had 51 assists and only 22 turnovers in the last two games.

Chemistry concerns

The Nuggets are a team loaded with strong personalities and not the most mature team in the league. An anonymous Denver source told reporters, “We don’t have Tim Duncan here.”

Since George Karl was forced to take a leave of absence to treat his bout with cancer, things have gotten appreciably worse. Denver went 41-20 with Karl on the bench, but they are just 8-10 SU since the last game Karl coached back in mid-March.

The Nuggets have been taking potshots at one another, both on and off the court. TV cameras caught a heated exchange between Carmelo Anthony and Chris Anderson on the bench in Game 4 after Birdman threw up an ill-advised 20 footer that missed badly, contributing to the Jazz’s big first half run.

Shooting guard J.R. Smith probably didn’t help matters with his post game response on Twitter, “You play selfish you lose selfish that’s all I’m saying about the game!”

Denver’s chemistry issues have been on full display on the offensive end of the court as well. The Nuggets spent the last two games playing one-on-one basketball, notching only 12 assists in Game 3, then following that up with a 13 assist performance in Game 4. During the regular season, Denver averaged 21 assists per game.

All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony did everything but point fingers in his comments to reporters following the Game 4 defeat.

“The energy and intensity is not there at times…. I’m trying to do everything I can in my power to beat the Jazz, but at the end of the day I need some help,” he said. “I’m not sitting here pointing fingers at anybody, but as a unit we’ve got to do it together.”

Backs against the wall

Denver has a miserable track record when facing elimination in the postseason. Last year, the Nuggets rolled through their first two playoff series, beating New Orleans 4-1 and Dallas 4-1.

That momentum did not carry over to their next series against the Lakers. Returning home after a tough Game 5 loss in L.A., facing a 3-2 series deficit, Denver was blown out right here at the Pepsi Center as a 5.5-point favorite, losing 119-92.

It was a similar story in 2008, when the Nuggets got swept by the Lakers in the first round, failing to win or cover the spread at home in either Game 3 or Game 4.

The Nuggets failed to win or cover either of their home games in the first round against San Antonio in 2007. Facing elimination in Game 5, Denver lost by 15 points, another pointspread failure. Their Game 1 win was their only win of the entire series.

In 2006, Denver got bombed by the Los Angeles Clippers in their elimination game, an 18-point blowout defeat. Denver lost that series 4-1 as well. The Nuggets also lost by double digits in Game 5 of their 4-1 series defeat against San Antonio in 2005, another pointspread failure in a closeout contest.

Clearly, in the past this team has struggled repeatedly stepping up for their biggest must-win game of the entire season.

Jazz having fun

As the Nuggets have been imploding, the Jazz have been coming alive.

“It's fun to watch what they're trying to accomplish,” coach Jerry Sloan told the media. “If we can run our offense and execute it, and set screens to help each other, I think we can score every time - if we can make the shot.”

Utah forward Carlos Boozer echoed his coach’s sentiments in his comments to the press.

“We execute. We're doing a good job of spacing. We've got shooters at a couple of different positions,” Boozer said.

No new injuries

Utah starters Andrei Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur are still sitting on the sidelines in street clothes. Okur is out for the remainder of the playoffs, while Kirilenko is not expected back in the lineup until Game 6 (if necessary) at the earliest.

Denver has some significant injury concerns of their own, but their injured players are still suiting up. Forward Kenyon Martin is a shell of his former self right now, playing on a knee that will require surgery as soon as the season is through. Martin has reached double digits in the scoring column only twice in seven games since returning to the floor.

Nuggets point guard Chauncey Billups appears to be wearing down physically as well. Billups shooting numbers are way down, hitting under 38 percent of his shots from the floor since March 1. “Mr. Big Shot” has been ice cold from three point range, connecting at a 28 percent clip over the last two months.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Udog]

NBA


Wednesday, April 28

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pick 'n' Roll: Today's best NBA bets
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Milwaukee Bucks at Atlanta Hawks (-9, 190.5)

When the Bucks lost big man Andrew Bogut, many pundits said the season was over.

An incredible rookie campaign from Brandon Jennings, a key trade-deadline acquisition in John Salmons and a Coach of the Year effort from Scott Skiles, all for naught.

But after falling behind 2-0 in its playoff series versus the Hawks, Milwaukee has rallied back and evened the series.

"I still feel like there's no pressure on us," Jennings said. "At the end of the day, everybody still expects us to lose the series. The best thing we can do right now is just keep fighting, keep competing with them and just see how everything goes.”

Low expectations can sometimes produce favorable results. And certainly all the pressure is on an Atlanta team that was expected to coast through this matchup.

"It's very frustrating, man," Joe Johnson said after Monday’s loss. "We just don't have the toughness. They are getting all the loose balls, all the big rebounds. We can't get stops when we need to and it's killing us."

While the Hawks covered in the first two home games of this series, the team blew huge leads in the second half. Expect the Deer to keep things close as they try to steal one on the road.

Pick: Bucks


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Udog]

NHL


Wednesday, April 28

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What bettors need to know: Canadiens at Capitals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Montreal Canadiens at Washington Capitals (-330, 6)

Series tied at 3-3

Halak attack

So much for playoff nerves.

After being criticized by Washington star Alex Ovechkin for looking nervous earlier in the series, Montreal goaltender Jaroslav Halak had ice water in his veins for Game 6 Monday night.

The young puckstopper turned away 54 shots for a 4-1 victory over the Capitals, coming up big in the third period. Halak faced 22 shots in the final frame and was clutch as Washington’s powerful offense pressed in the final minutes.

"Obviously it's great feeling, especially in the playoffs, winning a game like that," Halak told reporters following the win.

"No one even gave us a chance, but tonight, we stuck to the game plan, we played hard and it paid off at the end. It feels great, but there's another game ahead of us and we have to get ready."

Halak’s performance even gave some of Montreal’s most critical columnists a case of nostalgia, earning comparisons to Habs legend Patrick Roy. He has been brilliant in his last two appearances, allowing just two goals on 92 shots faced and is 12-0-1 when stopping at least 35 shot in a game this year.

Who turned out the lights?

The Capitals are quickly realizing that they will not be able to score themselves out of this first-round playoff series.

Washington, which averaged 3.8 goals during the regular season (most in the NHL), has managed to scored just twice in the past two games despite firing more than 90 shots on goal.

Even more telling is that the league’s top-ranked power play (25.2 percent) went 0-for-6 Monday and fell to an embarrassing 1-for-30 with the man advantage for the series.

But, while the situation would buckle most franchises, the Capitals insist they’re not frustrated with the lack of production from their once-mighty attack.

"There can't be any frustration in our game," Mike Knuble told CBC Sports.

"No matter what's happened with the power play, we did a lot good things on it and it will pay off. We all believe that. Keep getting a lot of pucks on net and it will pay off. We all believe that. We've scored a lot of goals and we know where goals are scored. I don't think we were playing on the outside, we were getting to the inside and we just had trouble finding rebounds tonight."

Ovechkin was held without a point Monday for the first time since Game 1 of the series and fellow sniper Alexander Semin may have to have his pulse checked after registering only one assist in the past six games.

First and foremost

The Canadiens know how to get off on the right foot.

Montreal opened the last two contests with fire in its skates, scoring two goals in the first period of both Game 5 and 6. For the series, the Habs have found the back of the net eight times in the opening frame – more than 44 percent of their total offense in the first round.

“We came out strong in the first period, we got the lead and that was huge for us,” Halak told the media. “We tied the series and we’ve got one more game to play, do or die. Still, we have nothing to lose. They have to win. We can just surprise.”

Forward Mike Michael Cammalleri set the tone with two goals in the first period Monday, scoring on the power play just over seven minutes into Game 6 then adding an even-strength marker a minute and a half later.

Cammalleri has recorded at least one point in every game this series and has 10 in the postseason – third most in the NHL playoffs. He’s riding a three-point night and a ton of momentum into Wednesday’s Game 7 showdown with the Capitals.

“Everybody picked them to win, and they’re supposed to win,” Cammalleri told reporters. “The pressure’s on them, but at the same time we don’t feel any moral victories.”


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Udog]

MLB


Wednesday, April 28

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hot Lines: Today's best MLB bets
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Philadelphia Phillies at San Francisco Giants (-155, 7)

The Giants haven’t won a World Series in 56 years so the closest they can get to the Fall Classic is playing the reigning two-time National League champions.

"They come after us. When we play them, they definitely want to beat us," manager Charlie Manuel said after the Giants took down the undefeated Roy Halladay on Monday. "They looked better than we did. They had more energy. They were flashy. They were having more fun."

San Francisco absolutely gets amped up when facing the Phillies, winning seven of the last 10 meetings in the series.

And you know two-time Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum would love nothing more than to defeat former World Series MVP, Cole Hamels, head-to-head on his home turf.

Lincecum has 18 strikeouts in 14.0 innings pitched this year at AT&T Ballpark. Philadelphia fashions a stacked lineup but is also susceptible to high strikeout totals and “The Freak” should have plenty of K’s hung up on the brick wall by the end of this outing.

Pick: Giants


Oakland Athletics at Tampa Bay Rays (-165, 8.5)

When you’re the best team in baseball, a bright red bull’s-eye gets tattooed on your back. And the 14-5 Rays know exactly how that feels.

"We're playing well," David Price told the team's website. "Everybody else knows that, too. We're going to get everybody else's best from here on out. It's going to make it tougher on us, but I think we can handle it."

Tampa Bay has handled the pressure well nearly a month into the season. The team went 9-1 on its recent road trip and just took two out of three from Toronto at Tropicana Field.

James Shields has always been dominate inside the confines of his home stadium and in his last two home starts versus the A’s the righty has given up a total of three runs in 14.2 innings of work.

Look for Dallas Braden to come out strong in an attempt to back up his words spewed toward superstar Alex Rodriguez last week for running over the pitcher’s mound.

Pick: Under


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Udog]

MLB


Wednesday, April 28

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This Day in Baseball
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On April 28 in Baseball History...

1906 - It's the only time two player-managers steal home on the same day, though not in the same game. Cubs pilot Frank Chance steals in the ninth to give Chicago a 1-0 win over the Reds, and Fred Clarke matches him in the Pirates' 10-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

1949 - A New York fan charges Leo Durocher with assault after the Giants lose 15-2 to Brooklyn. Commissioner Chandler suspends Durocher, who is absolved on May 3. Chandler criticizes teams for lax security that allows fans on the field.

1952 - The St. Louis Browns lend two black minor league players, third baseman John Britton and pitcher Jim Newberry, to the Hankyu Braves of the Japanese Pacific League. The Browns are the first team to send players outside of the U.S. Abe Saperstein, owner and coach of the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters, negotiates this special example in lend-lease for both sides.

1956 - Redlegs rookie left fielder Frank Robinson hits the first of his 586 lifetime home runs. The home run is off Cubs hurler Paul Minner in Crosley Field. Cincinnati's Wally Post hits four home runs in a doubleheader sweep for the Redlegs.

1961 - Five days past his 40th birthday, Warren Spahn becomes the second-oldest major league pitcher (after Cy Young) to hurl a no-hitter, blanking San Francisco 1-0. Hank Aaron drives in the only run off loser Sam Jones. It is Spahn's 290th win and 52nd shutout.

1965 - Mets announcer Lindsey Nelson broadcasts the Mets-Astros game at the Astrodome from a gondola hanging 208 feet above second base.

1966 - Cleveland ties the Brooklyn Dodgers' modern major league record with its 10th straight win since Opening Day. Sonny Siebert defeats the Angels 2-1. Cleveland will lose tomorrow to Gary Peters and the White Sox 4-1.

1988 - The Orioles set an A.L. record with their twenty-first consecutive loss, falling 4-2 to the Twins and breaking the record shared by the 1906 Red Sox and the 1916 and 1943 A's.

1998 - Texas Rangers right fielder Juan Gonzalez smashes a two-run home run in the club's 7-2 win at Minnesota. The round-tripper gives Gonzalez 35 RBI in April, which sets an all-time major-league record.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Udog]

MLB
Short Sheet


Wednesday, 4/28/2010

SAN DIEGO at FLORIDA, 12:10 PM ET MLBTV
CORREIA: 17-7 TSR as an underdog of +150 or less
ROBERTSON: 2-16 TSR as a home favorite of -125 or less

PITTSBURGH at MILWAUKEE, 1:10 PM ET
MAHOLM: Pittsburgh 4-21 SU away after losing 4 of their last 5 games
NARVESON: Milwaukee 16-1 SU at home vs. Pittsburgh

LA DODGERS at NY METS, 1:10 PM ET
ELY: Dodgers 1-7 SU off BB losses by 4+ runs
MAINE: 14-6 TSR in home games

WASHINGTON at CHICAGO CUBS, 2:20 PM ET
ATILANO: Washington 30-70 SU after the bullpen allowed 0 runs
DEMPSTER: 42-16 TSR at home in the first half of the season

ARIZONA at COLORADO, 3:10 PM ET
BENSON: Arizona 20-36 SU after winning 2 of their last 3 games
SMITH: Colorado 17-3 SU as a home favorite of -150 to -175

PHILADELPHIA at SAN FRANCISCO, 3:45 PM ET MLBTV
HAMELS: 2-9 TSR in day games
LINCECUM: San Francisco 19-5 SU at home off 5+ home games

CINCINNATI at HOUSTON, 8:05 PM ET
LEAKE: Cincinnati 29-13 Under away after allowing 2 runs or less
PAULINO: 4-16 TSR last 20 starts

ATLANTA at ST LOUIS, 8:15 PM ET
KAWAKAMI: Atlanta 8-15 SU off 3+ losses
GARCIA: St. Louis 47-25 SU in April

SEATTLE at KANSAS CITY, 2:10 PM ET
ROWLAND-SMITH: Seattle 18-9 SU off 4+ games scoring 4 runs or less
MECHE: 2-10 TSR in home games

MINNESOTA at DETROIT, 7:05 PM ET ESPN
BAKER: Minnesota 10-1 SU in night games
SCHERZER: 4-14 TSR as a favorite of -150 or less

CLEVELAND at LA ANGELS, 7:05 PM ET
WESTBROOK: Cleveland 10-26 SU after scoring 8+ runs
SANTANA: Angels 41-18 SU in day games

NY YANKEES at BALTIMORE, 7:05 PM ET
SABATHIA: Yankees 22-6 SU off 6+ road games
GUTHRIE: 6-21 TSR in night games

BOSTON at TORONTO, 7:05 PM ET
LESTER: Boston 12-2 SU off a division win by 1 run
CECIL: Toronto 30-50 SU vs. division opponents

OAKLAND at TAMPA BAY, 7:10 PM ET
BRADEN: 8-2 Under in April
SHIELDS: 16-2 TSR as a home favorite of -150 to -175

CHI WHITE SOX at TEXAS, 8:05 PM ET
PEAVY: 25-41 TSR with a line of +125 to -125
HARDEN: Texas 29-13 Over at home vs. AL Central opponents

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

[Udog]

NBA

Wednesday, April 28

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tips and Trends
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Milwaukee Bucks at Atlanta Hawks [TNT | 8:00 PM ET]

Bucks: Milwaukee has gone from being an afterthought to a dangerous playoff club this season. Milwaukee is proving that they just aren't happy to be in the playoffs, as they've battled back from an 0-2 deficit. Not much was expected from the Bucks this postseason once star C Andrew Bogut went out with an injury. The Bucks are winning with balanced scoring, as they have 6 players averaging at least 9 PPG during the playoffs. F John Salmons is leading the Bucks this postseason with 20.3 PPG, while shooting better than 50% from the field. PG Brandon Jennings is having a great playoff debut, as he's averaging 19.8 PPG and 4 APG. Milwaukee has struggled this season when playing in Atlanta, as they've lost 2 of the 3 games there by double figures. The Bucks are 48-38 SU and 54-30-2 ATS overall this season. The Bucks are 18-25 SU and 27-14-2 ATS in road contests this season. Milwaukee is 25-16 ATS as the listed underdog this season.

Bucks are 12-3 ATS last 15 games as a road underdog.
Over is 10-1 last 11 vs. a team with a winning SU record.

Key Injuries - None.

PROJECTED SCORE: 93 (Side of the Day)

Hawks (-8.5, O/U 191): Atlanta is back at home, after losing both Game 3 and 4 in Milwaukee. It's a troubling trend thats haunted this Hawks team all season, their inability to win on the road. The Hawks will have to fix this flaw if they make it into the later rounds of the playoffs. In the meantime, Atlanta is very happy to be back at home for the crucial Game 5 tonight. The Hawks will look to pick up their defensive pressure, considering they allowed an average of 109 PPG in Games 3 and 4. Prior to these most recent games, the Hawks had held the Bucks under 100 PTS in their 5 other meetings this season. Atlanta is 55-31 SU and 50-36 ATS overall this season. The Hawks are 36-7 SU and 27-16 ATS in home games this season. Atlanta is a very impressive 10-3 ATS as a home favorite between 6.5 and 9 PTS. Atlanta is 11-5 ATS in the game after a SU loss as the listed favorite. G Joe Johnson is leading the Hawks in the playoffs with 25.8 PPG and 6 APG, both team highs.

Hawks are 4-1 ATS last 5 playoff games as a favorite.
Over is 6-1 last 7 vs. a team with a winning SU record.

Key Injuries - None.

PROJECTED SCORE: 95



Utah Jazz at Denver Nuggets [TNT | 10:30 PM ET]

Jazz: Utah is arguably playing the best basketball of any team in the Western Conference. Utah has won 3 of the 4 games both SU and ATS in this series with Denver. Utah has scored more than 100 PTS in each game, and 113 PTS or more in 3 of the 4 games. PG Deron Williams has been simply amazing this series, as he's had at least 20 PTS and 10 assists in each playoff game so far. That feat is so rare, Williams is the 1st player since Magic Johnson to do so, with 20 years spanning the difference. Williams is averaging 26.8 PPG and 12 APG to be specific about his stats this series. F Carlos Boozer has also played well this series, as he's averaging 22 PPG and 11 RPG against the Nuggets. 3 other Jazz players are also averaging double figures for the Jazz this series. Utah is 56-30 SU and 52-31-3 ATS overall this season. The Jazz are 1 game over .500 on the road this season, at 22-21 SU. From a betting standpoint, the Jazz are 24-18-1 ATS away from home this season. Utah is 13-11 ATS as the listed underdog this season, including 1-1 ATS as a road underdog between 6.5 and 9 PTS.

Jazz are 1-5 ATS last 6 games as a road underdog.
Over is 7-3 last 10 playoff games as an underdog.

Key Injuries - F Andrei Kirilenko (calf) is doubtful.

PROJECTED SCORE: 109

Nuggets (-7, O/U 215): Denver is staring elimination in the face, as they are shockingly down 3-1 in their first round series with Utah. The Nuggets simply haven't played good team basketball, and the players are even saying so. F Carmelo Anthony publicly stated that he needed help offensively, yet he had 9 turnovers in a Game 4 loss. G J.R. Smith is tweeting things about his teammates, which certainly isn't helping things. It's quite evident that Denver is missing the services of Coach Karl. Ir'a shocking to see Denver down in this series considering they won 3 of the 4 meetings SU in the regular season. Anthony is averaging 34.5 PPG this series, while shooting better than 52% from the field. PG Chauncey Billups is averaging 17.8 PPG and 6.5 APG for the Nuggets. Denver is 54-32 SU and 36-44-6 ATS overall this season. Denver is 35-8 SU and 20-22-1 ATS in home games this season, including 6-2 ATS as a home favorite between 6.5 and 9 PTS.

Nuggets are 9-1 ATS last 10 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
Over is 4-0 last 4 games following a SU loss of more than 10 points.

Key Injuries - F Kenyon Martin (knee) is probable.

PROJECTED SCORE: 114 (OVER - Total of the Day)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Udog]

Len's Top 5

Happy Wednesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for April 28, 2010 from Len Berman.

1. Quick Hits

Cleveland and Boston advance to play each other in the NBA playoffs, Detroit moves on in hockey.
Remember that kid Scott Sicko from New Hampshire who wasn't drafted and said he'd go back to school instead of signing with an NFL team? Never mind. Sicko signed with the Dallas Cowboys.
Heart surgery for "Mr. Baseball," Milwaukee Brewers announcer Bob Uecker. He's expected to be out of the booth 10-12 weeks.
Go ahead, say it. The first place New York Mets. Just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?

2. Anything Goes?

Can you say anything about anybody? Of course not. The general manager of the Miami Dolphins apologized to Dallas draft pick Dez Bryant for asking whether his mother was a prostitute during a pre-draft visit. Dallas radio host Mike Bascik, a former major league pitcher, got suspended for tweeting a disparaging remark about Mexicans at a Spurs game. Meanwhile a Boston radio host compared Tim Tebow's draft party to a Nazi rally because everyone was white. I blame the 24-hour culture of news and sports. Everything is "on the air" or "on the Internet." Everybody's an "expert," and the volume gets ratcheted up. Sorting through the noise, intelligent conversation is harder and harder to come by these days.

3. The Big Least

Is the end of the Big East Conference in the wind? If Syracuse and a bunch of other schools bolt for the Big Ten to play football, that would be taps for the Big East. As the original TV voice of Big East basketball of course I'm sad. Then again, I remember when Syracuse/Penn State football was Armageddon, and when Big East basketball players like Patrick Ewing and Chris Mullen stayed in college for 4 years. Things change. And older fans pine away for "the good old days." And that$ $port$.

4. More Economic News

Subscriber Gerard H. emailed to tell that he's been a Rangers season ticket holder for 36 years, and he just got a call informing him that ticket prices are NOT going up next season? That's a step in the right direction. A price decrease might be nice. So would a prize for being a 36-year season ticket holder. How about free cable from the Dolans?

5. God Bless America

Sure they play the late Kate Smith's God Bless America during the 7th inning stretch at Yankee Stadium, but that ain't nothing. Remember when her song was the battle cry for the Broad Street Bullies, the 1974 Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers? Now Kate is winding up on a postage stamp, and the stamp may be unveiled at the Kate Smith statue outside the now defunct Spectrum in Philly. The plan is to do it May 19th, 36 years to the day after she sang it live before the Flyers went out and clinched the Stanley Cup against the Boston Bruins. I remember when she was done singing and the Spectrum was going nuts, the Bruins Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito skated over and shook her hand. One of my favorite hockey memories.

Happy Birthday: Golfer John Daly. 44.
Bonus Birthday: Jay Leno. 60.

Today in Sports: Muhammad Ali refuses induction into the Army and is stripped of his heavyweight title. 1967.
Bonus Event: One of the greats was seen on national television for the first time, Mike Wallace. 1957.