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**bryce** · 05-18-2010, 02:30 PM

Good luck SDB!!

**StarDust Bum** · 05-18-2010, 07:45 PM

Orlando’s opening number suggests readiness

The Boston Celtics exposed the Orlando Magic like Toto pulling back the curtain on the Wizard of Oz. Whether Orlando was not emotionally ready to play from the long layoff or listless after cruising past two dramatically weaker opponents, the facts are for three quarters the Magic looked liked they belonged in the Eastern Finals as much as the New Jersey Nets.

The crisp passing normally associated with Stan Van Gundy’s team amounted to a grand total of 10 assists in the series opener. The Magic players dumped the ball down to Dwight Howard and basically stood like statues in creating no movement on the perimeter, which forced Howard to rely on his limited offense game with nowhere to pass the ball.

While the Celtics deserve credit for keeping the Magic under 40 percent shooting for the first 36 minutes, their task was made much simpler with Rashard Lewis, Matt Barnes and Jameer Nelson for the most part taking off-balance shots and being sloppy ball-handlers.

“I don't think we were prepared for the level they were ready to play," said Vince Carter, one of the few players in white with pulse throughout the contest. "They were ready to go from the jump, and we weren't on their level from the beginning." Orlando is 41-22 ATS revenging a same season loss.

It’s not a good thing when the best and smartest player on the floor for your team is J.J. Redick. While the former Duke guard has made himself a useful NBA player off the bench, he can’t be one of two players (Carter the other) that understands what his team needs.

The Magic too readily let Boston set up its half court defense. When Nelson had the ball a good portion the game, he did too much yo-yo dribbling and the offense was stagnant.

With Redick, he would get the ball into Howard’s hands early in the shot clock and give the big man options, he would than move to give Dwight as reasonable outlet and would either dribble drive to the basket for a good shot or find another open shooter. The Magic are 23-11 ATS after a game where they failed to cover the spread this year.

"That was a wake-up call we really needed, in my opinion," said Carter. "They're relentless, they're aggressive, they do a great job of contesting, especially in the paint, and it took us a while to figure it out, but when we did we played a lot better."

The question about Boston has been are they too old and are they wise because of their experience? The answer presently is the latter. Ray Allen shot only 34 percent against the Magic in last year’s playoffs and they tried to employ the same defensive strategy on him again, pressuring him on the perimeter to take contested shots. Allen foiled those tactics, by beating Matt Barnes, Mickael Pietrus and later Redick off the dribble for layups or short jumps shots in totaling his game high 25 points.

The green-clad C’s are up to 38-23 ATS as road underdogs the past three years and Paul Pierce is starting to show he might still have something left in his legs with superior all-around game line that looked this way - 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

“It was a defensive game, and we like those. That was fine with us," said Boston coach Doc Rivers.

Orlando opens Game 2 as seven-point favorites to even the series, with total of 189 at Bookmaker.com. The Magic are 31-12 ATS after playing a game as a home favorite and 17-6 UNDER after one or more losses. Boston has won and covered four in a row and is 29-16 ATS in road games after successfully covering the spread in two or more consecutive contests. The Celtics are 11-2 UNDER after allowing 35 points or less in the first half last outing.

The second game in the series has an 8:30 Eastern start on ESPN

**StarDust Bum** · 05-18-2010, 07:46 PM

Tough losses can linger for sports bettors

Two game series are mentally hard if you lost the first game in Major League baseball. This is especially true if the first contest was there to be won and somehow the game slipped from the grasp of victory into the clutches of defeat. Today, four MLB teams have to regroup quickly or get swept by their opponent.

Cleveland at Tampa Bay 1:10 Eastern

The Indians (15-21, -3 units) carried a 3-2 lead into the eighth inning but could not make it hold up and later fell in the 11th when Tampa Bay’s Jason Bartlett laid down a bunt to drive in the winning run. Cleveland manager Manny Acta thought his team was robbed earlier in the inning by a bad call that let the Rays John Jaso get on base for a hit on close play at first base.

“He (the umpire) had the runner beating the throw, which I was thought was absurb,” Acta said. “I hate to see the human element being taken out of the game, but I see why so many people ask about instant replay about everything. We played so hard and that guy had no business being on base.”

Cleveland faces the daunting task of beating David Price (5-1, 2.03 ERA) as +220 underdogs and the combination of the Rays (27-11, +9.4 units) and Price is 11-1 in day games the last couple of seasons.

Boston at N.Y. Yankees 7:05 E

Baseball players talk frequently about staying on an even keel, not getting to high with a win or to low after a defeat. Boston (19-20, -7.8) trailed the Yankees 6-1 after two innings, but never quit. The Red Sox kept battling and with stellar bullpen work and finding ways to score, they went into the bottom of the ninth leading 9-7 with ace closer Jonathon Papelbon set to close the matter.

Instead, it was the horror show Boston fans and others have seen time and again in the Bronx. After Brett Gardner got on base with a hit, Papelbon missed his location and Alex Rodriguez sent one deep into the New York night to tie the game. A visibly sagging Papelbon hit catcher Francisco Cervelli and Yankees fans that had team in pinstripes on the run line were joyous after Marcus Thames launched a home run into lower deck for an 11-9 stunning victory.

The Red Sox have to pick themselves up as +180 road underdogs at Bookmaker.com facing C.C. Sabathia (4-2, 3.71). Boston is distressing 2-9 against teams with win percentage of 62% or higher. Josh Beckett makes first start since being rocked for nine runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings against New York 11 days ago. Beckett’s been battling back spasms and takes on club that is 47-14 as a favorite of -175 to -250.

Colorado at Chic. Cubs 8:05 E

After winning four of five to climb above .500, Colorado(19-19, -2.3) was looking to continue that success in the Windy City, beginning seven game road trip. The Rockies tied Chicago at 2-2 in the eighth, after Troy Tulowitzki’s error back in the third inning had given the Cubs the lead.

However in the bottom of the 11th a slumping Aramis Ramirez smoked a two-run homer into a stiff leftfield breeze and Colorado went home a loser. The Rockies will start rookie Jhoulys Chacin (2-1, 2.66), who will try to bounce back from his first poor start of the season, when he permitted six runs in five innings against Washington. Colorado is +105 underdog and is 31-57 vs. teams who strand 7.5 or more runners on base per game. Amazingly, the Cubs (17-22, -13.2) are perfect 19-0 in home games vs. a very good bullpen whose WHIP is 1.250 or better over the last three seasons.

L.A. Angels at Texas 8:05 E

Scott Kazmir had his longest stint of the year in pitching seven innings but the third frame was the difference in the game and Texas (21-18, +0.4) made it hold up. The left-hander allowed four runs in the third and the Rangers’ pitchers did the rest in 4-3 triumph. That ended the Angels three-game winning streak and pushed them back to 3.5-games behind the front-running Rangers in the AL West.

The Halos (18-22, -5.2) are +115 visiting dogs with their ace Jered Weaver (4-2, 2.47) on the mound. The tall right-hander has conceded two earned runs or less in six of eight starts and the team is 25-8 after three consecutive games versus a division rival. Texas counters with C.J. Wilson (3-1, 1.48), a former failed starter who’s been brilliant in 2010. The Rangers go for the quick sweep and are 12-2 vs. an AL starting pitcher like Weaver whose WHIP is 1.100 or better.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-18-2010, 07:46 PM

Sharks need more bite for Game 2

San Jose did pretty much what they wanted but one thing in their Western Conference finals opener against Chicago, win the game. The Sharks suffered a 2-1 loss despite outshooting the Blackhawks 45-40, committed no penalties compared to Chicago’s five and controlled the contest for long expanses of time.

Still it wasn’t enough with San Jose was 0-5 on the power play as Hawks goalie Antti Niemi was the difference-maker. “He’s been good for us all year,” Chicago forward Kris Versteeg said. “Everyone seemed to be doubting him except us. We’re confident in him. We have to give him a lot more help than we did tonight.”

The Blackhawks will take a split but have higher ambitions now and the sports betting public should be aware they are 22-8 against offensive teams scoring three or more goals a game this season.

“The good news is there’s a lot of things we can improve on and that we can do better,” Jonathan Toews said. “When we looked at Game 1 watching the highlights on TV, it looks like they absolutely outplayed us. It didn’t feel that way on the ice. But we know our goaltending was huge keeping us in that game.”

San Jose isn’t devastated by the loss and they know that have clean up miscues and get back to playing how they are capable.

“For the most part we played pretty well,” Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle said. “We made a few defensive mistakes. But again, to get 45 shots against a team like that, keep them at two goals. It could have gone either way.” The Sharks are 35-16 when playing against a team with a winning record.

Bookmaker.com has San Jose as -140 money line pick on home ice for Game 2 with total Ov5.5. The Sharks are 25-7 after allowing two goals or less in consecutive games and are 5-2 OVER in last seven contests. Chicago keeps peppering the net and is 7-1 on the road after five straight games with 30 or more shots on goal. The Hawks are 14-6 OVER having won four of their last five outings over the last two seasons.

This West Finals has a 10:00 Eastern start on VERSUS and TSN and the underdog has won four in a row in these meetings.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-18-2010, 07:47 PM

Montreal resumes play in typical position

PHILADELPHIA (AP)—Jaroslav Halak hit the showers early in another playoff opener. If he rebounds the same way, the Montreal Canadiens will be just fine. The star goalie was pulled from a 6-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers after allowing four goals on 14 shots in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday night. That won’t shatter his confidence, or worry his teammates and coaches. After all, it’s nothing new.

Halak got yanked after giving up five goals in a 6-3 loss to Pittsburgh in Game 1 of the second round. He was dominant the rest of the series, and the eighth-seeded Canadiens eliminated the defending Stanley Cup champions in seven games.

“It wasn’t one of his better games,” Canadiens coach Jacques Martin said Monday. “I think he’ll recognize that, and not just him. I think it goes with our hockey team. I think last night wasn’t a good performance, and the result was there to show it. I’ve got lots of confidence, and his teammates have a lot of confidence in Jaro that he’ll be able to bounce back.”

Besides, Montreal does not appear comfortable unless they are behind since they are 5-1 when trailing in a series.

Halak entered this series with the best save percentage (.933) in the playoffs. He was the main reason the Canadiens stunned Presidents’ Trophy winners Washington and the reigning champion Penguins in the first two rounds to go deeper into the playoffs than they have since 1993, when they won the Stanley Cup a record 24th time.

Halak stopped 131 of the final 134 shots he faced against the Capitals in the opening round. After his early exit against the Penguins, Halak allowed just 12 goals in the last six games. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin each had one in the series.

“Every series is a different series, so right now we are facing a different team than we faced in the first round and second round,” Halak said. “So every team plays different hockey, and we just need to make a little bit adjustment in our penalty killing and our system. I think if we do that we should be OK.”

Halak didn’t get much defensive support against the Flyers. Two of Philadelphia’s goals against him were on the power play and the Canadiens had a difficult time preventing the bigger, tougher Flyers from crowding the front of the net.

“It’s playoffs. They want to win the game as much as we want to,” Halak said. “We just need to do a better job, you know, boxing guys out, and we should be OK.” The Canadiens are 10-4 revenging a blowout loss vs. opponent of three goals or more this season.

In the other net, Flyers goalie Michael Leighton was outstanding. Making just his third start of the playoffs, Leighton stopped 28 shots for his first career NHL playoff shutout. Leighton has allowed only four goals on 98 shots in four games since replacing Brian Boucher who is likely out for the postseason with a knee injury.

Leighton, who sat out from March 16 until May 10 because of an ankle injury, will take a shutout streak of 105 minutes, 50 seconds into Game 2. Yet he still feels he has to prove himself every game, and there is no guarantee he’ll have a starting job in Philly next season.

“I guess that’s what kind of happens with goalies,” Leighton said. “If you look at Halak and the way things have gone in Montreal, I think he’s had a great season. You know, he’s had to prove himself over and over again. There are still questions about whether it’s him or (Carey) Price sometimes. I think he’s finally stood out and they’re finally saying he’s the guy. So I’m hoping to get to that point where I get to a team that says, ‘You know, you’re the guy.’ I had an opportunity here and I enjoyed it.”

Philadelphia has won five in a row and is far cry at the moment from the team that squeaked into the postseason. The Flyers have a string of 10 consecutive goals scored, which according in Elias Sports Bureau, is the longest streak in the postseason since 1987.

Philly is a -155 money line favorite at Bookmaker.com, with total Ov5 and they have taken eight of last nine in that role. Philadelphia is 27-16 UNDER after playing a home game this season. Montreal has been like a golf ball on a cart path, losses just don’t stick on them and they recoil. The Canadiens hit the reset button and move and are 10-3 UNDER in road games after allowing four goals or more this campaign.

The Game 2 action begins at 7:00 Eastern on VERSUS and CBC.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-18-2010, 07:48 PM

Game 2, Celtics vs. Magic

Boston closed as a 6 1/2-point underdog in Game 1 on Sunday and Doc Rivers’ club captured a solid 92-88 road victory over Orlando. Those following the contest know that the game wasn’t as close as the final four-point margin. The Celtics led by as many as 20 points in the third quarter and held a 16-point lead (74-58) heading into the final 12 minutes. The Magic made a late charge and cut the gap to three (88-85) but Paul Pierce and Ray Allen both converted a pair of free throws to seal the deal and take the series lead.
Pierce (22) and Allen (25) combined for more than half of Boston’s points in the first installment, plus it got a great effort from Rasheed Wallace (13 points) off the bench, especially on the defensive end. Along with Kendrick Perkins and Glen Davis, the savvy veteran frustrated Dwight Howard and banged him hard with nine fouls. The All-Star Center missed a ton of bunnies in the paint and finished with 13 points on 3 of 10 shooting.

Boston’s new-found defensive “Big Three” allowed the team to stick with Orlando’s bombers behind the 3-point land and it worked, as the Magic were just 5-of-22 (22%) from downtown. Everybody knows Orlando lives and dies by the three, evidenced by 89 in its first eight postseason affairs, all wins too.

Stan Van Gundy knows his offense wasn’t great (42%) in Game 1 but the Celtics’ attack wasn’t much better (45%) in the win. What was decent was Orlando’s defense, which held another opponent under 100 points, a mark that hasn’t been topped against this unit in the postseason.

Despite losing at home in Game 1, the oddsmakers still believe that the Magic will knot up the series at 1-1 after Tuesday. Orlando has been listed as a 7 ½-point favorite in Game 2 and a few casinos in Las Vegas pushed the number up to 8.

Orlando hasn’t lost back-to-back home games during the regular season and the last time it’s dropped consecutive games was on Jan. 15, when the club went 1-3 on a West Coast road trip.

Whole those numbers are impressive, so is Boston’s 30-17 SU and 24-22 ATS record on the road, which includes a 4-2 both SU and ATS ledger in the playoffs. And, the Celtics were in both losses against the Heat and Cavaliers, up until the last couple minutes.

So far in this year’s postseason, only one home team has lost Game 1 on their court. The instance happened in the first round when Portland stunned Phoenix 105-100 as a nine-point road ‘dog. In Game 2, the Suns bounced back with an emphatic 29-point win (119-90) at home.

Total players didn’t notice any change in the ‘over/under’ in Game 2, which is hovering between 188 and 189 points. Game 1’s combined 180 points helped the ‘under’ cash for the fourth time in the five meetings between the two. Keep in mind that only 73 points were posted in the first 24 minutes before 107 points was dropped in the second-half and that was with two teams missing the majority of their shots. They were helped by 39 points from the free-throw stripe but even with those freebies, the pace for Boston (74 shots) and Orlando (77 shots) was slow.

Orlando was listed as high as a $3.00 favorite (Bet $300 to win $100) on the series price but that number has dropped as low as minus-110 (Bet $110 to win $100) at most offshore outfits after Game 1’s outcome. If you still feel the Magic have a lot left, then the price is definitely right and the value for the Celtics is long gone.

Game 2 is slated to tip at 8:30 p.m. EDT and ESPN will provide national coverage of this contest.

After this battle, the two clubs will get three days off before the series starts up again in Boston on Saturday night.

NBA Draft Lottery Odds

The NBA Draft Lottery will also be set for tonight as 14 teams look to win the No. 1 pick in this year's draft. New Jersey finished the regular season with a league-worst 12-70 record, and it's listed as the favorite to grab the No. 1 pick. Minnesota is right behind, while Sacramento is listed third.

Kentucky freshman point guard John Wall is widely considered to be the top prize in this year's field, while others are pointing to the college player of the year Evan Turner out of Ohio State.

Below is a list of the odds from Bodog.com:

New Jersey Nets 7/4
Minnesota Timberwolves 2/1
Sacramento Kings 7/2
Golden State Warriors 6/1
Washington Wizards 8/1
Philadelphia 76ers 12/1
Detroit Pistons 15/1
Los Angeles Clippers 18/1
Utah Jazz 35/1
Indiana Pacers 40/1
New Orleans Hornets 60/1
Toronto Raptors 70/1
Memphis Grizzlies 80/1
Houston Rockets 100/1

**StarDust Bum** · 05-18-2010, 07:50 PM

Diamond Trends - Tuesday

Mariners at Athletics – The Mariners are 0-5 since August 18, 2009 when Felix Hernandez starts on the road vs a team that has hit more grounders than fly balls season-to-date for a net profit of $620 when playing against.

Twins at Blue Jays – The Twins are 4-0 since August 08, 2009 when Carl Pavano starts as a road dog for a net profit of $625. The Blue Jays are 8-0 since September 15, 2009 as an favorite vs a team that has a better record for a net profit of $800.

Mets at Braves – The Mets are 0-7 since July 19, 2009 on the road after a win in which they had fewer team-left-on-base than their opponent for a net profit of $700 when playing against. The Mets are 0-6 since May 02, 2009 on the road within 20 cents of pickem when they are off a win in which they never trailed for a net profit of $610 when playing against.

Nationals at Cardinals – The League is 6-0 since April 14, 2010 as a 170+ dog after a loss in which they left 18+ men on base and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $1105. The Nationals are 0-5 since July 09, 2009 when John Lannan starts on the road after his team won the last time he started for a net profit of $510 when playing against. The Cardinals are 10-0 since May 23, 2009 as a home 140+ favorite after a win in which they had fewer team-left-on-base than their opponent for a net profit of $1000. The Cardinals are 6-0 since July 05, 2009 when Chris Carpenter starts after his team lost the last time he started for a net profit of $600

Rockies at Cubs – The Rockies are 7-0 since October 08, 2009 when they are off a loss in which they never led and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $795. The League is 0-5 since April 08, 2010 as a home favorite after an extra inning win and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $680 when playing against. The Cubs are 6-0 since April 16, 2010 when Carlos Silva starts for a net profit of $600.

Astros at Dodgers – The Astros are 0-8 since September 20, 2009 as a 140+ dog after a loss in which they drew 1 or fewer walks for a net profit of $800 when playing against. The Astros are 4-0 since August 02, 2009 when Bud Norris starts as a 170+ dog for a net profit of $860. The Dodgers are 10-0 since September 16, 2009 at home and it is the last game of the series for a net profit of $1015.

Diamondbacks at Marlins – The Diamondbacks are 0-9 since May 03, 2009 as a road dog when they are off a win in which they never trailed and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $900 when playing against.

Royals at Orioles – The Royals are 0-11 since April 19, 2009 on the road when they are off a win in which they never trailed and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $1120 when playing against. The Royals are 0-8 since April 19, 2009 on the road 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 $830 when playing against. The Royals are 0-7 since August 03, 2009 when Zack Greinke starts as a dog for a net profit of $700 when playing against.

Giants at Padres – The Giants are 0-6 since August 10, 2009 when Jonathan Sanchez starts within 20 cents of pickem after more strike outs than hits allowed for a net profit of $605 when playing against. The Giants are 0-5 since May 20, 2009 when Jonathan Sanchez starts after throwing more than 100 pitches at home for a net profit of $550 when playing against. The Padres are 6-0 since April 10, 2009 at home after a win in which their opponent left 18+ men on base for a net profit of $670.

Pirates at Phillies – The Pirates are 0-14 since July 10, 2009 as a road dog when they lost the last two games their starter started for a net profit of $1400 when playing against. The Pirates are 0-11 since June 20, 2009 vs a team that has won at least their last three games and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $1100 when playing against. The Phillies are 0-5 since September 12, 2009 as a home 140+ favorite after a win in which they had 12+ hits for a net profit of $916 when playing against. The Phillies are 5-0 since April 05, 2010 when Roy Halladay starts as a 200+ favorite for a net profit of $500.

Angels at Rangers – The Angels are 0-5 since July 01, 2009 when Jered Weaver starts as a dog after a quality start for a net profit of $500 when playing against.

Indians at Rays – The Indians are 0-8 since May 15, 2009 as a road 140+ dog when they lost the last two games their starter started for a net profit of $800 when playing against. The Indians are 0-7 since June 02, 2009 when David Huff starts vs a team that won their starters last two starts for a net profit of $720 when playing against. The Rays are 8-0 since April 14, 2010 after a win and it is the last game of the series for a net profit of $860.

Brewers at Reds – The Brewers are 0-6 since July 20, 2009 after a loss in which they were tied at the end of 6 innings for a net profit of $675 when playing against. The Reds are 7-0 since May 13, 2009 as a favorite after a win and it is the last game of the series for a net profit of $700. The Reds are 5-0 since August 28, 2009 when Homer Bailey starts at home after his team won the last time he started for a net profit of $580.

White Sox at Tigers – The White Sox are 5-0 since May 25, 2009 as a dog when they are off a loss in which they held the lead and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $630. The Tigers are 0-4 since August 08, 2009 as a home favorite after a win in which they had fewer team-left-on-base than their opponent for a net profit of $665 when playing against.

Red Sox at Yankees – The Red Sox are 0-9 since May 14, 2009 as a road dog when they are off a loss in which they held the lead for a net profit of $900 when playing against. The Red Sox are 6-0 since July 27, 2009 when Josh Beckett starts after facing 30 or more hitters for a net profit of $600. The Yankees are 8-0 since August 07, 2009 at home vs a team that has lost at least their last three games for a net profit of $800. The Yankees are 6-0 since June 02, 2009 when A.J. Burnett starts at home after walking at least 4 for a net profit of $600.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-18-2010, 07:51 PM

Tuesday's MLB Tip Sheet

Before breaking down a couple of division-rivalry games for Tuesday night, let’s get you caught up on the MLB scene. Tampa Bay owns the best record in baseball with a 27-11 ledger after Monday’s series-opening win over Cleveland in 11 innings.

The Rays have a two-game advantage over the American League East’s second-place squad, the Yankees, who won a stirring thriller in the Bronx last night with a four-run rally in the bottom of the ninth. The Yanks had let a 6-1 lead get away and trailed 9-7 going into the final frame. But Marcus Thames went deep in walk-off fashion a few batters after Alex Rodriguez had hit a two-run blast to tie things up.

Washington is the biggest surprise in baseball and the biggest money maker as well. The Nats, who are only going to get better when phenom Stephen Strasburg gets called up in June, have brought home their backers more than 10 units of profit.

Toronto (23-17, +950) had the second-best money tally in baseball going into Monday's action, but a loss to the Twins, coupled with the Rays' win, lifted their money total ahead of that of the Blue Jays'. San Diego and Detroit round out the rest of the top five MLB clubs in money.

On the flip side, the Cubs have cost their backers the most money. While going 16-22, they have lost more than 14 units. The rest of the bottom five in money looks like this: Seattle (-1015), Baltimore (-975), White Sox (-943) and Milwaukee (-879).

Cincinnati took over first place from St. Louis over the weekend and remained atop the NL Central standings thanks to Monday's 6-3 win over Milwaukee. The Cards are just one-half game behind the Reds. To Tuesday’s card…

**Mets at Braves**

--Most books are listing the side as a pick 'em with a total of 7 1/2 'under' (minus-115).

--Johan Santana (3-2, 3.88) worked seven scoreless innings in his last outing, but it wasn’t enough as the Marlins began a four-game sweep of the Mets with a 2-1 win Thursday night in South Florida.

--New York (19-20, -206) took a five-game losing streak into Monday’s series opener at Atlanta. However, the Mets climbed out of the NL East cellar with last night's 3-2 win over the Braves. Neverthless, they are still just 5-12 on the road for the season. They trail the division-leading Phillies by six games

--Atlanta (18-20, -514) has won 10 of 16 games since losing nine in a row in late April. The Braves swept the Brewers at Milwaukee last week and then took two of three from Arizona over the weekend at Turner Field. They won the rubber game against the Diamondbacks by capturing a 13-1 victory behind eight strong innings from veteran right-hander Tim Hudson. Martin Prado belted a pair of homers while going 4-for-6 to lift his batting average to .323. Troy Glaus remained hot, too, going 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs and his fifth homer of the season. Glaus, who struggled to stay above .200 in April, is now hitting .283.

--Bobby Cox will turn to Kris Medlen in this spot. Medlen is 1-1 with a 2.35 ERA this year. Those numbers have come during one start and 13 appearances from out of the bullpen. This will be the sixth start of Medlen’s career that has mostly been spent coming out of the ‘pen.

--The ‘over’ had hit in six straight games for the Braves before last night's 'under.' For the season, they have watched the ‘under’ go 18-16 overall, 9-7 in their home outings.

--The ‘over’ is 19-17 overall for the Mets, 8-7 in their road assignments.

--The Braves are 4-7 against left-handed starters like Santana. They are 10-6 at home in front of the Turner Field fans.

**Red Sox at Yankees**

--New York (25-13, +760) took two out of three games from Minnesota at home over the weekend. The Yankees’ seven-game homestand will continue through Thursday with a pair of quick two-game sets against Boston and Tampa Bay. Joe Girardi’s club was unable to sweep the Twins on Sunday when Mariano Rivera gave up a game-winning grand slam to Jason Kubel with two outs in the top of the eighth inning. Rivera had not surrendered a grand slam since 2002.

--Boston (19-20, -821) lost two of three at Detroit over the weekend and will now play a pair of games in the Bronx before returning to Fenway Park. The Red Sox had a 7-8 road record going into Monday’s series opener.

--Josh Beckett (1-1, 7.46) will be looking to make amends for two brutal outings against the Yankees this season. The Bronx Bombers have beaten Beckett up badly with 14 earned runs in 10 innings. For his career, Beckett is 9-6 with a 5.96 lifetime ERA against the Yankees.

--Regardless of the opponent, Beckett has been getting knocked around pretty good lately. His ERA is 11.15 in his last three outings, the most recent of which saw Beckett reached for nine earned runs.

--C.C. Sabathia (4-2, 3.71) will toe the rubber for New York and like Beckett, will be in bounce-back mode. The workhorse lefty got roughed up in his last outing, giving up all six earned runs in a 6-0 loss to Detroit. Sabathia owns a 5-5 record and 3.74 career ERA against Boston.

--Mark Teixeira has never homered against Beckett and has just four singles in 26 at-bats for a .154 average versus the hard-throwing Texas native. Derek Jeter hits .298 off Beckett, while Alex Rodriguez is .286 with only a pair of homers in 49 at-bats vs. Beckett.

--The ‘over’ is 20-17 overall for the Red Sox, but the ‘under’ is 7-6 in their road contests.

--Totals have been a 20-20 overall was for the Yankees, 8-8 in their home games.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

--With its four-game sweep of the Mets over the weekend, Florida pulled into a second-place tie with Washington in the NL East. Both clubs were four back of the Phillies going into Monday’s action, only to fall five back.

--Dodgers’ slugger Andre Ethier sustained a fracture pinkie during batting practice Saturday and is listed as day-to-day. He’s expected to test the pinkie by taking swings in the batting cage this week before the team decides if it will place him on the disabled list. Ethier leads the NL in batting average (.392), homers (11) and RBIs (38).

--Washington closer Matt Caps (0-1, 0.93) has converted all 14 of his save opportunities this season.

--Florida slugger Hanley Ramirez and Washington power hitter Adam Dunn (flu) are both “questionable” in Tuesday’s games for their respective squads. Ramirez fouled a ball off his foot early in last night's 5-1 loss to Arizona. Later in the game, he didn't seem to be hustling after a ground ball he had botched and then inadverdently kicked into left field. Fredi Gonzalez then yanked Ramirez from the game, causing Ramirez to get grumpy in his post-game comments. Remember, Ramirez is the star of the Marlins, who signed him to a wealthy long-term deal that's rather uncommon for the low-payroll franchise. SportsByBrooks.com has pictures and video of the entire episode. It's also worth noting that Gonzalez has been teetering on the hot seat for the Fish until a four-game sweep over the Mets this past weekend.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-18-2010, 07:54 PM

Playoff Results - Conf. Finals

Conference Finals Results

Favorites have gone 1-1
Home teams have gone 1-1
The 'over/under' is 1-1 after 2 games
Favorites that won are 1-0 on the puck line
First Round | Second Round

Home Visitor Time/Final Score ATS OVER/UNDER

Sun May 16, 2010
San Jose Chicago (+110) 2-1 UNDERDOG UNDER 5.5
Philadelphia (-145) Montreal 6-0 FAVORITE OVER 5

Tue May 18, 2010
Philadelphia Montreal 7:05 p.m.
San Jose Chicago 9:05 p.m.

Thu May 20, 2010
Montreal Philadelphia 7:05 p.m.
Chicago San Jose 8:05 p.m.

Sat May 22, 2010
Chicago San Jose 3:05 p.m.
Montreal Philadelphia 3:05 p.m

Mon May 24, 2010
Philadelphia Montreal 7:05 p.m.
San Jose Chicago 9:05 p.m.

Wed May 25, 2010
Montreal Philadelphia 7:05 p.m.
Chicago San Jose 9:05 p.m

Fri May 28, 2010
Philadelphia Montreal 7:05 p.m

Sat May 29, 2010
San Jose Chicago TBD

Winners in BOLD

**StarDust Bum** · 05-18-2010, 07:56 PM

Playoff Results - Conf. Finals

Conference Finals Results

Home teams are 1-1
Favorites are 1-1 straight up
Favorites are 1-1 against the spread
The 'over/under' is 1-1

Home Visitor Final Score ATS OVER/UNDER

Sunday May 16, 2010
Orlando Boston (+7, +285) 92-88 UNDERDOG UNDER 188.5

Monday May 17, 2010
L.A. Lakers (-6) Phoenix 128-107 FAVORITE OVER 211

Tuesday May 18, 2010
Orlando Boston

Wednesday May 19, 2010
L.A. Lakers

Saturday May 22, 2010
Boston

Sunday May 23, 2010
Phoenix L.A. Lakers

Monday May 24, 2010
Boston

Sunday May 23, 2010
Phoenix L.A. Lakers

Wednesday May 26, 2010
Orlando

Thursday May 27, 2010
Phoenix L.A.

Friday May 28, 2010
Boston

Saturday May 29, 2010
Phoenix L.A. Lakers

Sunday May 20, 2010
Orlando Boston

Monday May 31, 2010
Phoenix L.A. Lakers

*Winners listed in Bold

Announcement

The Bum's Tuesday's Best Bets MLB-NBA-NHL-WNMBA !

The Bum's Tuesday's Best Bets MLB-NBA-NHL-WNMBA !

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