Announcement

**Udog** · 05-16-2010, 01:57 AM

Daily Sports Roundup: May 16

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The conference finals get underway in both the NBA and the NHL, while the drivers take to the track in the Sprint Cup Series.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The NBA's Eastern Conference Finals begins on Sunday afternoon with Boston at Orlando. The Celtics completed their upset victory over LeBron James and the Cavaliers on Thursday night, winning Game 6 by a score of 94-85 at TD Garden. Kevin Garnett poured in a team-high 22 points for Boston in that contest to go along with 12 rebounds, with Rajon Rondo added 21 points on the night. Rasheed Wallace and Paul Pierce each scored 13 points. The Magic swept the Hawks in the second round of the playoffs, and they have yet to be tagged with a loss during the postseason. The oddsmakers have listed Orlando as the 6.5-point home favorite for Sunday's matchup, with the total for the game at 189.5 points.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The American League schedule for Sunday has Boston at Detroit, Minnesota at the Yankees, Texas at Toronto, Cleveland at Baltimore, the White Sox at Kansas City, Oakland at the Angels, and Seattle at Tampa Bay. The Mariners' Cliff Lee (1-1, 2.01 ERA) will take on the Rays' Matt Garza (5-1, 2.49 ERA) in that last matchup. Lefthander Lee was beaten by the Rays in his May 5 outing, as he gave up five runs (four earned) on 10 hits over his eight innings of work. Righthander Garza grabbed the win for Tampa Bay in that contest, surrendering just two earned runs on five hits over his eight innings of work, and fanning five.

Over in the National League on Sunday it'll be the Mets at Florida, St. Louis at the Cincinnati, Pittsburgh at the Cubs, Washington at Colorado, the Dodgers at San Diego, Houston at San Francisco, Philadelphia at Milwaukee, and Arizona at Atlanta. Dan Haren (4-2, 4.23 ERA) will take on Tim Hudson (3-1, 2.64 ERA) in that last matchup. Righthander Haren was tagged with a loss by the Dodgers in his last trip to the mound, allowing four earned runs on 10 hits over his 6 1-3 innings of work. Righthander Hudson is coming off a win over the Brewers in his last start in which he surrendered just one earned run over his six innings of work.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

The NHL also begins its conference finals on Sunday, with Chicago at San Jose in the west, and Montreal at Philadelphia in the east. The Blackhawks dispatched the Canucks in the second round of the playoffs, winning the Game 6 clincher 5-1 in Vancouver on Tuesday night. The Sharks, meanwhile, completed their five-game series win over the Red Wings last Saturday night. The Canadiens needed all seven games to get past the defending-champion Penguins in the Eastern semis, locking up that set with a 5-2 road win on Wednesday night. And the Flyers came back from an 0-3 deficit in both the series and Game 7 on Friday night to eliminate the Bruins, getting a game-winning marker from Simon Gagne.

Roaring around the track . . .

The Sprint Cup Series takes the track at Dover International Speedway on Sunday afternoon for the Autism Speaks 400, with Jimmie Johnson looking to pick up his third consecutive win on the track. Johnson visited victory lane at Dover twice last season, claiming both the AAA 400 in September and the Autism Speaks 400 in May. Those results have made Johnson a +500 favorite to win on Sunday along with teammate Jeff Gordon. Kyle Busch, who won at Dover in 2008, is sitting at +600 for Sunday, with Denny Hamlin just back of him on that list at +800. Hamlin has grabbed the win in three of the past six Sprint Cup races.

As well, the drivers of Formula 1 will continue their latest European swing on Sunday with the Monaco Grand Prix. Sebastian Vettel is pegged as the 9/4 oddsmakers' favorite to take the checkered flag in Monaco on Sunday, with Fernando Alonso listed at 10/3 odds to get the win. Mark Webber, who won the Spanish Grand Prix last time out, is at 9/2 odds, followed by Lewis Hamilton at 11/2. Jenson Button, the current leader in the drivers championship, is sitting at 12/1 odds to win in Monaco, with Michael Schumacher farther back at 15/1 odds.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

Finally, the WNBA offers up four games on Sunday, with Chicago at New York, Indiana at Atlanta, Los Angeles at Seattle, and Washington at Minnesota. Star guard Seimone Augustus won't be in the lineup for Minnesota on Sunday night; she'll miss the next few weeks as she recovers from having abdominal surgery.

**Udog** · 05-16-2010, 01:58 AM

Bettor's best friend: Sunday's wagering tips

Line off the board

The total in the Pirates-Cubs game is OTB because the wind speed and direction at Wrigley Field is unknown.

Lines to keep an eye on

Rangers at Blue Jays – Opening total of 9 has dropped to 8.5. These teams combined to score 26 runs Friday and then six Saturday.

Mets at Marlins – The home team surfaced as -200 favorites but that moneyline has dropped to -173 in some markets.

Diamondbacks at Braves – Most books have dropped the total in this game to 8 after opening at 8.5.

Astros at Giants – The home team opened as -200 favorites but that moneyline has plummeted to -174 on some boards.

Weather to watch
(Forecasts are extracted from Weather.com the night before the game.)

White Sox at Royals – A 50 percent chance of rain is called for with wind blowing in from center field at 8 mph.

Mets at Marlins – Wind is expected to blow in from right-center field at 15 mph and there is a 20 percent chance of rain.

Cardinals at Reds – A 40 percent chance of rain is in the forecast while wind is projected to blow across the diamond at 12 mph.

Who’s hot

Orlando has won 14 straight games and is 13-1 ATS during that stretch.

The Blue Jays have won three in a row and are 7-3 over a 10-game span.

The Flyers are winners of four consecutive games, earning 4.14 units on the moneyline.

Who’s not

Minnesota has lost 11 games in a row versus New York.

The Cubs have dropped two straight and are 2-8 in their last 10.

Key stat

September 12, 2008 – Date Colorado pitcher Jeff Francis made his last major league start. Francis won 17 games for the Rockies in 2007 but missed all of last season with a shoulder injury.

Injuries that shouldn’t be overlooked

Magic forward Matt Barnes and Boston forward Glen Perkins both missed team practices on Saturday. Barnes is suffering from back spasms while Perkins has a sore right knee. Both are expected to go in Game 1 Sunday. Perkins will have his hands full guarding Dwight Howard and Barnes is a key bench contributor for Orlando.

Game of the day

Boston Celtics at Orlando Magic (-6, 189.5)

Notable quotables

"It's easy to hate the Flyers. They've been the Broad Street Bullies, their fans are loud and obnoxious. If you're from Philly, that's great. If you're not, you hate them. It's fun to hate the Flyers, just like it's fun for them to hate our fans and our team. It should be a good series as far as hate goes."

-- Montreal Canadiens veteran defenseman Hal Gill said.

“The best coach in the league, Gregg Popovich, didn't have a problem with it last week."

-- Suns’ guard Steve Nash retorted after L.A. coach Phil Jackson made the comment that Nash carries the ball.

Tips and notes

- Denny Hamlin is the hottest NASCAR driver on the planet right now. He’s coming off a May 8 win and has won three of the last six races he’s started. With +1000 odds to win the Autism Speak 400 at Dover, Hamlin looks like a tasty bet Sunday but be aware of his history at this track. Over the last two years, Hamlin has finished no better than 22nd in four races at the "Monster Mile." His career average finish at Dover is 30.1 in seven races.

- In the opening week of the MLB season, Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter complained about baseballs not being rubbed down in Cincinnati. Manager Tony La Russa added that the same thing happened last year and the balls not being rubbed up with mud like other ballparks was “beyond curious.” The OVER is 10-6-3 at Great American Ballpark this season and without the pitchers having one of their edges, more runs could be scored. The total for the Cards-Reds game Sunday is 8.

- The Magic are coming off one of the most dominant sweeps in NBA Playoffs history. In four games versus Atlanta, Orlando outscored the Hawks by 101 points (25.3 ppg margin). Coach Van Gundy did not rest players at the end of the season and this team is gelling, winners of 14 consecutive games. Orlando has been favored by 6 points or fewer in four games this postseason (-6 Sunday vs. Boston) and has covered the spread in all four, winning by an average margin of 14.3 points. Oddsmakers believe this is the best team left in the playoffs, making the Magic the favorites to win the championship at +125 (Lakers +145).

**Udog** · 05-16-2010, 01:59 AM

NBA
Dunkel

Boston at Orlando
The Magic look to build on their 7-0 ATS record in their last 7 games as a playoff favorite. Orlando is the pick (-6) according to Dunkel, which has the Magic favored by 17 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Orlando (-6). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, MAY 16

Game 503-504: Boston at Orlando (3:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 119.277; Orlando 136.861
Dunkel Line & Total: Orlando by 17 1/2; 186
Vegas Line & Total: Orlando by 6; 189 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Orlando (-6); Under

**Udog** · 05-16-2010, 02:00 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, May 16

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BOSTON (58 - 35) at ORLANDO (67 - 23) - 5/16/2010, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 41-50 ATS (-14.0 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 20-29 ATS (-11.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
ORLANDO is 51-34 ATS (+13.6 Units) in all games this season.
ORLANDO is 47-30 ATS (+14.0 Units) as a favorite this season.
ORLANDO is 26-17 ATS (+7.3 Units) in home games this season.
ORLANDO is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) against Atlantic division opponents this season.
ORLANDO is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) after a division game this season.
ORLANDO is 38-24 ATS (+11.6 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 55-42 ATS (+8.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 26-17 ATS (+7.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
BOSTON is 39-24 ATS (+12.6 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 82-62 ATS (+13.8 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ORLANDO is 9-9 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
ORLANDO is 11-7 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
12 of 18 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Monday, May 16

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PHOENIX (62 - 30) at LA LAKERS (65 - 27) - 5/17/2010, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs this season.
LA LAKERS are 53-36 ATS (+13.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 55-35 ATS (+16.5 Units) in all games this season.
PHOENIX is 40-27 ATS (+10.3 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 this season.
PHOENIX is 35-24 ATS (+8.6 Units) after scoring 105 points or more this season.
PHOENIX is 32-19 ATS (+11.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PHOENIX is 22-9 ATS (+12.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
PHOENIX is 37-19 ATS (+16.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
PHOENIX is 22-7 ATS (+14.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
LA LAKERS are 40-50 ATS (-15.0 Units) in all games this season.
LA LAKERS are 32-40 ATS (-12.0 Units) as a favorite this season.
LA LAKERS are 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 8-4 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 9-3 straight up against PHOENIX 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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**Udog** · 05-16-2010, 02:00 AM

NBA
Short Sheet

Sunday, 5/16/2010

Eastern Conference Finals - Best of 7 - Game 1
BOSTON at ORLANDO, 3:30 PM ET ABC
BOSTON: 2-11 ATS Away after covering 5 or 6 of their last 7
ORLANDO: 8-1 ATS after 7+ consecutive wins

Monday, 5/17/2010

Western Conference Finals - Best of 7 - Game 1
PHOENIX at LA LAKERS, 9:00 PM ET
PHOENIX: 11-3 ATS after a win by 6 or less
LA LAKERS: 11-2 Under as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 05-16-2010, 02:01 AM

NBA

Sunday, May 16

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Trend Report
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3:30 PM
BOSTON vs. ORLANDO
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games on the road
Boston is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Orlando
Orlando is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Orlando is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

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**Udog** · 05-16-2010, 02:02 AM

NBA

Sunday, May 16

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Pick 'n' Roll: Today's best NBA bets
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Boston Celtics at Orlando Magic (-6, 189.5)

Paul Pierce is the closer and Rajon Rondo is the best player, but Kevin Garnett is the Celtics’ most important player. Just look what the difference a rested and relatively healthy KG makes for the C’s.

The Magic bounced the Celtics in the second round of the playoffs a year ago but that was with Garnett sitting on the sidelines.

The Big Ticket is active and playing at his highest level this year. He’s averaging 17.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in the postseason compared to more modest averages of 14.3 and 7.3 during the regular campaign.

"Obviously, he's back now. If you watched him in the playoffs, he's back," coach Stan Van Gundy told the Orlando Sentinel.

It’ll be Rashard Lewis’ job to try and slow down Garnett for the Magic. The sweet-shooting forward isn’t known for his defense, particularly in the post where Garnett abused Cavs forward Antawn Jamison last round.

This series should be a competitive one and the game-to-game total result should be connected to the winner of the Lewis-KG battle. If Garnett is getting post touches and making hoops on the low block, the pace should be slower for Boston’s attack. If Lewis is running and getting open looks from beyond the arc, that means Orlando is pushing its offense.

Expect KG to win the battle in Game 1.

Pick: Under

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**Udog** · 05-16-2010, 02:03 AM

NBA

Sunday, May 16

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Game of the day: Boston Celtics at Orlando Magic
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Boston Celtics at Orlando Magic (-6.5, 189.5)

Opening line

A small number of sportsbooks initially posted a line on Thursday night after the Celtics eliminated the Cavaliers and the initial line was Orlando -5.5 to -6. The line then rose to -6.5 as most other sportsbooks began to post numbers Friday morning.

The total opened at 189.5 and has dropped to 189 in some locations.

The Magic are -310 on the moneyline, while the Celtics are +260 to win Game 1 outright. This means the oddsmakers are predicting a 74 percent chance that Orlando wins straight up on Sunday.

The series price has Orlando as a -270 favorite with Boston as a +230 underdog to advance to the NBA Finals. Mathematically this gives Orlando a 71 percent chance of the winning this best-of-seven series.

Road dominance

The road team was a perfect 4-0 against the pointspread in this series this season. The road team also won three of those four meetings outright with the only loss coming by two points. It was a low-scoring series as the UNDER was 3-1 with the only OVER coming by a half point. The four meetings averaged fewer than 175 points per game.

Orlando held a 16-point lead in their 83-78 win at Boston on November 20, even though the team played without point guard Jameer Nelson. Boston won the rematch on Christmas, 86-77, as a 5.5-point underdog at Orlando without Paul Pierce. Orlando then overcame a 16-point deficit on January 28 for a 96-94 home win and the Magic also won the final meeting at Boston on February 7, 96-89, despite trailing by 11 points at halftime.

These teams also met in the second round of the 2009 playoffs and Orlando overcame a 3-2 deficit and won the final two games to capture the series as a +110 underdog. The Magic won the first game of that series, 95-90, at Boston as a 1.5-point underdog. Boston played the entire series without Kevin Garnett who was injured.

KG is on the floor

When these two teams met last year in the Eastern Conference semis, Kevin Garnett did not play because of a knee injury. Garnett’s presence is huge to the Celtics success, and without him on the floor, Orland held a huge matchup advantage.

However, the Magic still needed seven games to beat the Celtics in that series last season. Orlando has no such luck here as Garnett is back and 100 percent healthy. KG played in all four meetings this year and Orlando’s biggest win came by only seven points.

New lineups

Both teams will have significantly different starting lineups for this year’s playoff series.

Orlando has three differences with Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter and Matt Barnes playing alongside Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis. Last year, the Magic had less scoring options with Rafer Alston, J.J. Redick and Hedo Turkoglu playing with Howard and Lewis.

Boston will also have Garnett on the court this time around as mentioned above. The Celtics will also be able to play much bigger in the paint with the combination of Garnett and Rasheed Wallace. Last year, Boston was forced to play Glen Davis in the middle because he’s all they had. While he held his own, the Celtics are in much better shape for this series.

The Rondo factor

The most important player for the Celtics in their series win over Cleveland was point guard Rajon Rondo, who was a one-man wrecking crew against the Cavaliers. Rondo averaged a double-double with 20.6 points and 11.8 assists per game. He also put-up a triple-double in Game 4 with 29 points, 13 assists and 18 rebounds.

In the four meetings against Orlando this season Rondo was held in check, averaging just 12.8 points, 7.8 assists and 8.5 rebounds per game. However, in the lone Boston win over the Magic, Rondo nearly posted a triple-double with 17 points, 8 assists, and 13 rebounds.

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**Udog** · 05-16-2010, 02:04 AM

NHL
Long Sheet

If the top trends section in the Montreal/Philadelphia game updates, I'll add it.

Sunday, May 16

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CHICAGO (60-26-0-8, 128 pts.) at SAN JOSE (59-22-0-12, 130 pts.) - 5/16/2010, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 4-7 ATS (-9.7 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest this season.
SAN JOSE is 35-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CHICAGO is 125-128 ATS (+281.4 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.
CHICAGO is 55-27 ATS (+18.5 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 33-16 ATS (+8.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CHICAGO is 12-4 ATS (+7.1 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
SAN JOSE is 8-12 ATS (-18.7 Units) in home games when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 3 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 6-13 ATS (+6.0 Units) in home games revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 7-5 (+0.6 Units) against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 7-5-0 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.0 Units)

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MONTREAL (47-38-0-11, 105 pts.) at PHILADELPHIA (49-38-0-7, 105 pts.) - 5/16/2010, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 10-7 (+1.7 Units) against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 10-7-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
10 of 17 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.4 Units)

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**Udog** · 05-16-2010, 02:08 AM

NHL
Short Sheet

Sunday, 5/16/2010

Western Conference Finals - Best of 7 -Game 1
CHICAGO at SAN JOSE, 3:00 PM ET VERSUS
CHICAGO: 7-2 SU as an underdog
SAN JOSE: 6-13 SU at home revenging a home loss

Eastern Conference Finals - Best of 7 - Game 1
MONTREAL at PHILADELPHIA, 7:05 PM ET VERSUS
MONTREAL: N/A
PHILADELPHIA: N/A

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 05-16-2010, 02:10 AM

NHL

I'll add Montreal/Philadelphia asap.

Sunday, May 16

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Trend Report
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3:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. SAN JOSE
Chicago is 4-11-3 SU in its last 18 games ,when playing on the road against San Jose
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing San Jose
San Jose is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Jose's last 6 games

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**Udog** · 05-16-2010, 02:12 AM

NHL

Sunday, May 16

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Ice picks: Today's best NHL bets
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Chicago Blackhawks at San Jose Sharks (-124, 5.5)

These two teams come in with a completely different playoff history over the last half decade. The Sharks have been among the elite in the regular season but have routinely disappointed in the postseason.

The Blackhawks, on the other hand, are playing in their second straight West final with a budding young nucleus.

So while Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau battle the ghosts of playoff past, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are overflowing with confidence. Bettors shouldn’t expect any type of playoff jitters from Chicago in Game 1.

Goaltending isn’t a team strength but Chicago possesses enough offensive firepower to carry over any rough patches Antti Niemi might have.

Pick: Over

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**Udog** · 05-16-2010, 02:13 AM

NHL

Sunday, May 16

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What bettors need to know: Blackhawks at Sharks
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Chicago Blackhawks at San Jose Sharks (-125, 5.5)

The Sharks and Blackhawks will finally open the Western Conference final Sunday afternoon in a showdown series between the conference's top two seeds.

Top-ranked San Jose hasn't played in more than a week after dumping the Red Wings in five games last round. The Blackhawks enter the Western final with five days of rest, following a 4-2 series victory over the Canucks in Round 2.

Chicago got the better of the Sharks during the regular season, taking three of four meetings. The Blackhawks blasted San Jose 7-2 on Nov. 25, but the other three contests were decided by one goal - two of those games needed overtime to decide.

Over the hump?

The Sharks appear on the verge of putting their past playoff failures behind them.

Despite finishing first or second in the Pacific Division each of the past six seasons, this is only San Jose's second trip to the Western finals.

“They’re playing the same way they did all year,” Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said.

“They had some disappointments in the playoffs the last few years, but they’ve met that challenge. They beat a very good team in Detroit; you have to do a lot of good things to get by them."

Chicago is seeking its first trip to the Cup final since 1992.

New Niemi territory

Sunday's game will be Chicago goalie Antti Niemi's first ever at HP Pavilion Arena after Christobal Huet started all four regular-season games against the Sharks.

Niemi hasn't had a chance to practice at the rink either because of concerts and the afternoon start time of Sunday's contest.

"First games are different because you don't know their place as well," Niemi told the media.

It might not matter. Niemi has posted a 2.57 goals-against average and .909 save percentage so far in the playoffs.

No ordinary Joes

The emergence of one Joe and the resurgence of another has the Sharks' offense clicking these days.

Joe Pavelski has been one of the big individual surprises of the postseason, leading San Jose in scoring with nine goals and six assists in 11 playoff games. Meanwhile, Joe Thornton - feeling the heat after disappearing acts in past playoffs - is coming off an eight-point series against the Red Wings and has a six-game point streak.

"They said blow up this team, but look where we are," Thornton said after the series win over Detroit.

Toews not fazed

Playoff pressure doesn't bother young Chicago star Jonathan Toews.

The center, who recently turned 22, leads all scorers in the postseason with 20 points in 12 games. That gives him 33 points (13 goals, 20 assists) in 29 career playoff games, the best point-per-game ratio (1.14) in Blackhawks history.

He's also getting plenty of help. Teammates Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp are also averaging better than a point per game, while Marian Hossa has 10 points in 12 games.

Special teams

The Blackhawks' penalty-killing was third in the regular season (85.3 percent) and is second in the playoffs (88.7). Chicago is also a threat to score while playing a man down, leading the league with 13 shorthanded goals during the regular season and adding three more in the playoffs. The Hawks' power play has operated at a 21.6 percent clip.

The Sharks' power play has been the worst of the four teams remaining in the playoffs with only a 19.3 success rate.

Trends

- The Blackhawks haven't enjoyed their recent trips to San Jose, going 4-11-3 in their last 18 games at the Shark Tank.

- The favorite is 15-4 in the past 19 meetings between these clubs.

- The over has cashed five of the last six times these teams have met, and is 5-1-2 in the last eight at San Jose.

- The Sharks are on over runs of 5-1 overall, 5-0 when coming off a win, 6-1 on three days' or more rest, and 8-1 on Sundays.

- The over is also 27-7-2 in Chicago's last 36 games following a win, 21-8-3 in their last 32 road games and 5-1-2 in their last eight overall.

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**Udog** · 05-16-2010, 02:15 AM

MLB

Sunday, May 16

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Hot Lines: Today's best MLB bets
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New York Mets at Florida Marlins (-200, 8.5)

After coming up with only eight hits and three runs in the first two games of the series against Florida, the Mets are altering their lineup…again.

Twenty games ago manager Jerry Manuel moved Jose Reyes from the leadoff spot to No. 3 in the batting order. He also dropped David Wright behind Jason Bay so his slugger could see more fastballs.

The lineup changes didn’t spark the offense and New York has scored double-digit runs only once this year.

On Saturday, Manuel moved Reyes back to the leadoff spot and Angel Pagan to the three-hole. Bay remained batting cleanup but Manuel hinted that he could be dropped from that position if he continues to struggle (1 HR, .265 average) while catcher Rod Barajas could be moved from the No. 8 spot to "a more prominent spot" in the order.

Mets’ hitters have to be pressing right now and the comfort of not knowing where you will be on the scorecard every night isn’t there.

Jonathon Niese has held opposing lineups to one run or less in three of his last five starts. The Mets righty last faced Florida on April 8 and surrendered three runs in a 3-1 loss.

Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco gave up three earned runs in his last start against the Mets on April 7 and should be able to keep New York’s hitters off-balance again Sunday.

Pick: Under

Washington Nationals at Colorado Rockies (-145, 9.5)

Colorado pitchers have been injury-plagued this season, but the team returned starter Jason Hammel on Saturday and get another rotation member back Sunday.

Jeff Francis will be making his first start since Sept. 12, 2008 after missing all of last season coming off shoulder surgery. The southpaw won 17 games in 2007 for this Rockies club and expects to return to form immediately.

"It's not going to feel real until I actually step onto the mound," Francis said. "And once that happens, I expect to pitch well, go deep into the game and help the team win."

Francis was scheduled to make his return debut on April 6 of this season but a sore left armpit just four days before that start shelved him for more than a month.

Despite what his intentions are, Francis will likely be on a tight pitch count in his first game back.

Scott Olsen hasn’t given up more than two earned runs in his last four starts and the Nats went 3-1 in those outings.

Washington has been stroking the ball well and undervalued by oddsmakers as of late. The club is 7-3 in its last 10 outings (+6.70 units) with every win coming as an underdog.

Pick: Nationals

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Announcement

Sunday Trends and Indexes 5/16 (NBA, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

Sunday Trends and Indexes 5/16 (NBA, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

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