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**StarDust Bum** · 05-19-2010, 04:07 PM

Suns eclipsed – better bet in second game?

One of the wonderful aspects of visiting Tinsel Town is you never know when the stars will be out. You could be standing in line at legendary Pink’s Hot Dogs or roast beef haven Phillipes and Sandra Bullock or Tom Hanks might be waiting in line with you. The same can also be true on the hardwood, where every now and again the Los Angeles Lakers and their stars give a memorable performance at the Staples Center.

There is always a bit of the unknown when a NBA team has a long layoff, you can never be sure what it means good or bad. The Orlando Magic appeared to be effected negatively with their extra time off against Boston, but the Lakers played refreshed and looked better than a Santa Monica sunset.

Kobe Bryant was in “the zone” scoring 40 points on 23 shot attempts. Bryant appeared more than any other L.A. player to have benefitted from the down time. "My legs benefited a lot," Bryant said. "I was able to take some time off and just get stronger, get my legs stronger, body stronger."

However, Bryant wasn’t the only Lakers player that played rejuvenated and Phil Jackson’s squad proved just how challenging they are to defeat when they all committed to common goal.

Lamar Odom had 19 points and 19 boards (seven on offense) and was dialed in throughout.

Paul Gasol was 10 for 13 shooting, even converting on a couple of almost impossible buckets for a man his size. Derek Fisher was defensively possessed in staying with Steve Nash and though he has 13 assists, Fisher and his teammates limited the former MVP to 13 points on only 10 shots.

Two keys for Phoenix coming into the series were rebounding and bench strength. The Suns were outrebounded by eight and their reserves were out-pointed 44-35 in losing by 21.

"They played great, one of the best games I've seen them play in the playoffs this season," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. "Kobe kind of controlled the whole game. I thought we could have withstood the game that he had ... but when he's making his jumper like that, there's not a whole lot you can do about it."

Phoenix is going to have to play much better defense as L.A. was fearless doing what they wanted offensively. (Shannon Brown’s dunk attempt for example) The Suns are 31-13 ATS after allowing 105 points or more this season and if Kobe stays percolating, they must negate the rest of his teammates since you aren’t going to be on the winning side permitting 58 percent shooting.

“They're probably going to continue to be taller than us as the series goes on, so we've got to ... make everything as tough as possible," Steve Nash wryly stated. "We played hard, but we didn't make enough shots, and we had a few too many breakdowns."

Subtract Grant Hill and the other four Phoenix starters shot 59.5 percent, the issue was they generated only 42 attempts. If the Suns expect to tie series and move spread record to 20-10 after one or more losses, the starters have to get more shots at the rim and Channing Frye and Jared Dudley can’t put up combined 2 for 13 numbers.

Sportsbook.com has Phoenix as seven-point underdogs, with total leaping to 216. For those that use online sports betting it’s impossible to ignore the Lakers are 11-1 ATS after three or more consecutive Over’s and 17-6 against the spread in home games when playing only their second game in week. Coach Jackson’s club is 13-4 UNDER after a wipeout win by 20 points or more.

TNT will again have the coverage of Game 2 from LaLa-Land at 9:00 Eastern with the desert dogs 14-4 UNDER after they allowed a shooting percentage of 55 percent or higher.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-19-2010, 04:08 PM

Today’s Betting Information

Online sports betting oddsmakers were impressed with how easily the Lakers scored against Phoenix in totaling 128 points on 58 percent shooting. Los Angeles wasn’t exactly a defensive juggernaut with the Suns shooting 49.8 percent; however don’t you wonder just a little bit about the total moving SIX points from Game 1 to Game 2 to 216?

How bad are things in Brew Town? Milwaukee has lost eight straight and despite their history of dominating Pittsburgh, they have fallen from -170 opening money line road favorite and to -147 or less at most sportsbooks.

The Atlanta Braves began the day as -150 home favorites, but have sunk to -130 or lower against Cincinnati. The first place Reds are 12-4 playing against a team with a losing record this season and finding all kinds of different ways to win. Braves starter Kenshin Kawakami is 0-6 with 5.79 and he and Atlanta are 4-15 vs. teams averaging 2.75 or less extra base hits per game.

Scuffling Seattle was supposed to be an AL West contender and are if you hold the newspaper upside down. The Mariners are -120 choice down from -140 and just can’t get out of their own way with 6-18 record after a loss this season.

The Giants and Diamondbacks division matchup started at nine and at last look is up to Un10. Plenty of reasons for sports bettors to believe this will come true since San Fran starter Todd Wellemeyer has 9.49 road ERA and though Ian Kennedy has been more effective (3.58 ERA) for Arizona, unless he’s able to pitch complete game, the Snakes bullpen will enter the contest with outrageous 7.97 earned run average this season.

NBA Betting Nuggets

Play against road teams like Phoenix playing only their second game in seven days, in a game involving two good teams (60% to 75%). (23-6 ATS L5Y)

MLB Betting Nuggets

Play on teams like Philadelphia against a -1.5 run line, who are good NL offensive team scoring 5.0 or more runs a game against a quality starting pitcher (ERA<=3.70), after allowing two runs or less two straight games. (40-13 L5Y)

Toronto is 9-1 against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record this season, winning by 1.8 runs per game.

Tom Gorzelanny of the Cubs is 12-0 OVER as a road underdog of +100 or higher over the last three seasons, with average total score of 10.9 RPG.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-19-2010, 04:09 PM

MLB Systems that circle the bases

The second part of swing week continues with all 30 MLB teams moving on to play new opponents for the next two days. Upon doing research we find different teams in advantageous positions this Wednesday on the money line and online sports betting enthusiasts also will have an outstanding totals play to consider. All money lines from Sportsbook.com.

Chic. Cubs at Philadelphia 7:05E

The Phillies might not have had Chase Utley in the lineup the last few days, but they still lead the National League in runs scored at 5.6 per game and maintain a .278 team batting average. Philadelphia will face the Cubs this evening and their hard luck starter Tom Gorzelanny (1-4, 3.60 ERA), who had permitted three or less runs in his first six starts of 2010, before having his worst outing the last time out against his old team Pittsburgh and was cuffed around for five runs, nine hits in five innings of work.

The Phillies are -145 money line home favorites and teams that bat last with the ML between -100 to -150, with a team batting average of .275 or higher, taking on NL starting pitcher with ERA of 3.70 or less in the first half of the season are 33-7 since 2006.
Cincinnati at Atlanta 7:10E

The Reds continue to be in first place in the NL Central with yesterday’s dramatic 5-4 come from behind win over Milwaukee in which they tallied three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to pull it out.

“Down 4-2 in the last inning against arguably the greatest closer of all-time, and to come back to win?” Joey Votto said after driving in the game winner off of Trevor Hoffman. “I think that says a lot. I think the guys always feel like we have a good shot.”

Cincinnati has won four straight and eight of nine, even though they have bullpen ERA of 4.82. Aaron Harang (2-5, 6.02) and his pitching foe Kenshin Kawakami (0-6, 5.79) have struggled mightily in 2010. Harang has at least notched a couple of wins but Kawakami has not registered a victory since August 31, 2009. He’s allowed 43 hits in 37.1 innings and been tagged for six home runs.

Nonetheless, the Reds are +125 dogs and road teams with the between money line +125 to -125, with a mediocre bullpen whose WHIP is 1.450 to 1.550 on the season, against opponent with a starting pitcher who is winless after five or more starts are 10-39.

L.A. Angels at Chic. White Sox 8:10E

The White Sox have not won back to back games since sweeping home series against Seattle back on April 23-25, will have eighth attempt to change their luck. Chicago will have their best and most consistent hurler John Danks (3-2, 2.25, 1.125 WHIP) on the mound.

They will face Joe Saunders (2-5, 4.96, 1.566) who was having a terrible year before putting it all together in complete game four-hit shutout over Oakland in his previous start. The Pale Hose are a -150 money line wager and home teams with an AL starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.200 or better on the season facing his mound counterpart whose WHIP is 1.500 to 1.600, are 47-14 the last 13 seasons, including 19-2 the last five years.

Toronto at Seattle 10:10E

The Blue Jays concluded a 4-1 homestand in impressive fashion trouncing the Twins 11-2 yesterday, behind four home runs taking their Major League total to 65. The long ball is what is keeping the Blue Jays on the positive side of .500, since they have a mediocre team batting average of .244.

Toronto makes a West Coast swing beginning in Seattle at spacious Safeco Field. Online sports betting patrons should look at the total of Un7.5, as AL road clubs with BA of .255 or worse on the season after a win by six runs or more are 44-15 UNDER the last five years.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-19-2010, 04:10 PM

AL East Battle in the Bronx

There’s little doubt that the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees have established themselves as the top teams in the AL East, the division New York reclaimed last year after the Rays won it in 2008. They also may be the two best clubs in baseball. Tampa Bay can bolster its early lead on the Yankees and extend its latest winning streak to five on Wednesday night, but to do so the Rays will need to end a string of six straight losses in the Bronx.

New York (25-14, +5.6 units) has begun defense of its World Series title in strong fashion only to be overshadowed by the Rays, who are the only team in the majors with a better record.

Tampa Bay (28-11, +10.4) dropped two of three to the Yankees at home from April 9-11, but manager Joe Maddon’s team - already with a three-game lead - has a chance to make a statement in New York before beginning interleague play. “It’s going to be fun going up there, as it should be,” said Maddon, whose team has gone 15-4 (+10.5) on the road in 2010 but was outscored 31-12 while losing its last six in the Bronx last season.

“You want to be on the top. You want to play the best teams. You want to play in the best division. I think it’s great,” Maddon added. “Our guys will be ready for it. Our game’s a pretty good game right now. We haven’t hit to our potential yet, but we’ve been doing everything else.”

Brilliant pitching has been the foundation of the majors’ best start since Boston was 28-11 in 2002. David Price and four relievers held Cleveland to six hits in a 6-2 win Tuesday, lowering Tampa Bay’s team ERA to 2.69 - the best in the AL and they are 37-16 after allowing two runs or less.

Wade Davis (3-3, 3.38 ERA, 1.325 WHIP) has played a role, although the rookie will be trying to avoid a third straight loss. He has held Oakland and Seattle to three runs each in his last two starts, but has gotten minimal run support in that stretch. For those interested in sports betting, Tampa Bay is just is 5-19 in road games vs. AL teams scoring 5.2 or more runs per contest over the last two seasons.

Davis has yet to pitch at Yankee Stadium, but New York has already beaten him twice in St. Petersburg, with Davis posting a 5.73 ERA in the two outings. “I just want us to play the same kind of game we’ve been playing to this point,” Maddon said. “I don’t like to say: `We’re playing the Yankees, you’ve got to play a better game.’”

The Rays, however, have had major problems figuring out the Yankees’ scheduled starter. A.J. Burnett has won four straight starts against Tampa Bay and is 6-0 with a 1.76 ERA in his last seven. He held the Rays to two runs in seven innings of a 7-3 win April 11. Burnett (4-1, 3.31, 1.355) did not factor in the decision Friday night against Minnesota, although he worked 6 2/3 innings and allowed three runs - two earned - in an 8-4 win.

The banged-up Yankees will try to regroup quickly after squandering a 5-0 lead in Tuesday’s 7-6 home loss to Boston, with Mariano Rivera allowing a go-ahead hit for the second straight outing. New York fell to 13-4 (+6.4) at Yankee Stadium and will now try to avoid its first back-to-back losses at home and is 73-44 vs. an AL starting pitcher whose ERA is 4.00 or better since 2008.

The team remained without Nick Swisher (biceps) and Jorge Posada (foot) on Tuesday, and Curtis Granderson and Nick Johnson are on the disabled list. The Yankees still enter this series leading the majors in runs (225) and on-base percentage (.365). Alex Rodriguez has led the way lately, going 8 for 20 (.400) with two homers and nine RBIs in five games on this homestand.

Sportsbook.com has New York as -155 money line favorites with total at Ov9. The Yankees are 38-12 in the Bronx playing against a team with a winning record and 41-11 at home when the total is 9 to 9.5. They are 13-4 OVER when their bullpen is struggling with ERA over 7.00 in the last five games.

Tampa Bay has been terrific in the visitor’s role and is 12-2 away from home after a win this season. The biggest concern is putting together enough hits and they are 6-17 in road outings after batting .250 or worse over a 20-game span. Since last year the Rays are 11-2 UNDER as a road underdog of +125 to +150.

This is the ESPN Wednesday night contest which has a 7:05 Eastern start and New York has won 12 of previous 18 against Tampa Bay in the pinstripes.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-19-2010, 07:52 PM

Game 2, Lakers vs. Suns

Once Cleveland was eliminated from the playoffs, the Lakers became the odds-on favorites to win the NBA Finals. After watching Phil Jackson’s team play lately, some might wonder why the defending champions haven’t been listed as the heavy ‘chalk’ all along. The Lakers have certainly looked the part recently, ripping off seven wins in a row, including their Western Conference finals opener over Phoenix on Monday.

Los Angeles ripped the Suns 128-107 in wire-to-wire fashion in Game 1 behind a monster effort from Kobe Bryant. The All-Star posted 40 points on 13-of-23 attempts from the field and 11-of-12 from the free-throw stripe, 21 of the points coming in the third quarter. The Suns tried to temper Bryant defensively with Grant Hill but he was no match and neither was Jared Dudley off the bench. After the blowout loss, Hill didn’t know what to do or say. "[Kobe] is the best player in the game," Hill said. "I don't know exactly what we did wrong or right tonight." It was the sixth straight playoff game that Bryant has posted at least 30 points and unless Phoenix doubles-up Kobe, you could see more efforts like this.

Bryant’s hot night helped the Lakers shoot 58 percent from the field and 18-of-22 from the charity stripe as a team. Pau Gasol (21 points) and Ron Artest (14 points) both had solid efforts, but Lamar Odom stole the show off the bench with a playoff-high 19 points and 19 boards, including seven offensive rebounds.

Even though the Suns’ defense couldn’t do anything to stop Kobe and company, the offense did put up 107 points while shooting 49 percent from the field. Amar'e Stoudemire led the team with 23 points but he only had three rebounds. Steve Nash wasn’t great in Game 1, yet he still filled up the stat sheet with 13 points and 13 assists.

Most pundits believe the Suns are outmatched in this series and will need to be perfect to win any game against Los Angeles. Their lack of size showed in Game 1, as the Lakers outscored the Suns by 20 points (56-36) in the paint and they lost the battle of the boards (42-34) as well. And Phoenix’s strengths of fast break points (4 points) and 3-point shooting (15 points) were both stifled on Monday.

According to VegasInsider.com handicapper Brian Edwards, he believes Game 1’s outcome will be the first of many quick defeats for the Suns. He said, “I don’t think Phoenix has any shot at all in this series. Maybe the Suns win a game – two tops – if they shoot real well back at home. Alvin Gentry’s team just doesn’t have anything inside to contend with the likes of Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom. And when Odom plays like he did last night, the Lakers are extremely tough to beat. I still like the Boston-Orlando winner to beat L.A. but if I thought Odom was going to play like he did last night in the Finals, I might have to reconsider.”

The Lakers have been listed as 6 ½-point favorites for Game 2. Gamblers believing the Suns can win outright might want to take a chance on the generous money line odds (+260).

Even though Los Angeles led by as many as 28 and wound up posting the 21-point victory in Game 1, history has shown that teams tend to bounce back off blowout losses, especially in the conference finals.

VegasInsider.com handicapper Marc Lawrence explains, “As we’ve learned, teams that fail miserably tend to bounce back rather than stay down. In fact, teams off a point-spread loss of more than 10 points are a very profitable 37-20-1 (65%) ATS in 3rd round playoff action.”

The total for Game 1 closed at 211 and the combined 235 points easily watched the contest go ‘over’ the number. For the second battle at Staples Center, the books pushed the number up to 215.

Prior to giving up 128 points in Game 1, the Suns’ defense was playing great. San Antonio put up 102 on two different occasions in the semifinals and Portland was held under 100 in five of the six games during the first round. While Phoenix has sort of changed its tune defensively in this year’s playoffs, the Lakers’ offense is on a roll right now. After being held in check against Oklahoma City in the first round, the Purple and Gold have averaged 113 points per games in the last five, which has helped the ‘over’ go 5-0 during this span.

According to NBA playoff history, teams that have taken a 1-0 series lead in a best-of-seven series have gone on to win 78.3 percent of the time. Oddsmakers opened Los Angeles as a $3.40 (Bet $340 to win $100) series favorite over Phoenix and after the victory in the first installment, that number has been pushed up to $6.00 (Bet $600 to win $100) at most offshore outlets.

TNT will offer national coverage of tonight’s tip, which is slated to begin at 9:00 p.m. EDT.

The pair will meet in Game 3 on Sunday from US Airways Arena in Phoenix.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-19-2010, 07:53 PM

Wednesday Tips

It's a busy week for all teams around Major League Baseball, playing three separate series from Monday until this Sunday. Two-game sets continue on Wednesday with 15 new series starting, including three standout matchups in the American League. We'll start in the AL East with the Rays making their first visit of the season to the Bronx to battle the reigning champs.

Rays at Yankees - 7:05 PM EST

New York continues its homestand against another quality opponent, this time hosting the team with the best record in baseball. Tampa Bay has been dominant on the road with a 15-4 mark, while taking five of six series on the highway. The Rays look to avenge a home series defeat to the Yankees back in April.

Wade Davis (3-3, 3.38 ERA) is coming off losses in his last two starts for the Rays, falling as substantial favorites against the Mariners and A's. Davis hasn't received good run support as Tampa Bay has provided the righty with just six runs in his previous three starts. The last time Davis faced the Yankees, he allowed seven hits and four earned runs in six innings of a 10-0 home loss. CC Sabathia carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning of that blowout, the fifth time in Davis' seven starts the Rays have scored three runs or less.

The Yankees counter with A.J. Burnett (4-1, 3.31 ERA), who is coming off a strong performance against the Twins. Burnett scattered seven hits and three runs (two earned) in 6.2 innings of an 8-4 victory, lowering his ERA to 0.86 in three home starts. The Yankees are 5-1 in Burnett's six starts against the Rays dating back to 2009, including a 7-3 victory back on April 10. The 'over' has hit in each of the last four outings versus Tampa Bay, with the Yanks scoring 39 runs for Burnett.

New York has been an automatic run-line win when the Yankees are victorious, winning each of its 25 games by at least two runs. After taking the first three meetings in the Bronx last season, the Rays are 0-6 the last six matchups in New York, with five games finishing 'under' the total.

Twins at Red Sox - 7:10 PM EST

Boston returns home after a five-game road trip, hosting a Minnesota club that was beaten down on Tuesday at Toronto. The Twins took two of three at Target Field against the Red Sox in mid-April, but they head to Fenway Park where Minnesota is 1-7 the last eight trips to Beantown.

Clay Buchholz (4-3, 3.46 ERA) has actually pitched better on the road than at home, owning a 4.84 ERA at Fenway. The Red Sox have lost three of Buchholz's four home outings, including a 14-3 blowout against the Yankees in which the righty allowed nine hits and six runs in five innings of work. Buchholz has faced the Twins once in his career, finishing on the wrong side of a 7-3 road loss in 2008. The 25-year old gave up eight hits and seven earned runs in 4.1 innings, while walking five in that defeat.

Scott Baker (4-3, 4.93 ERA) has seen his ups and downs this season following a 15-9 campaign last season. It's very simple for Baker; if the righty puts together a quality start, the Twins win (4-0). On the flip side, if Baker does not provide a quality outing, Minnesota is going to lose (0-4). Baker's last two road starts have been less than impressive, allowing ten earned runs and 19 hits in losses at New York and Detroit. Last season, Baker was lit up at Boston, giving up ten hits and six earned runs in a 10-1 setback.

Minnesota is 9-4 this season in series openers, including a 5-0 mark if the Twins are off a loss. Boston owns a 4-8 mark when facing a right-handed starter after a left-handed starting pitcher, as the Sox came back to beat the Yankees on Tuesday, 7-6.

Angels at White Sox - 8:10 PM EST

Chicago picked up a road victory on Tuesday at Detroit, as the Sox look for back-to-back wins for the first time since April 25. The Angels try to bust out of a road funk in which the Halos have dropped ten of their last 12 on the highway, including last night's 8-7 loss at Texas.

The Sox send John Danks (3-2, 2.25 ERA) to the hill, as the lefty attempts to halt a two-game skid. Danks put together a pair of quality starts against the Blue Jays and Twins by tossing seven innings each time, but the Sox' offense tallied just two runs in those defeats. Six of Danks' seven starts have been quality ones, allowing two earned runs or less in six outings. Chicago is 2-4 in Danks' six career starts against Los Angeles, while going 0-3 at home.

Joe Saunders (2-5, 4.96 ERA) is coming off his best start of the season, tossing a four-hit shutout against the A's. The victory over Oakland was Saunders' first since an April 17 win at Toronto, only his second quality start of the season. The southpaw has allowed 50 hits in 45.1 innings, while owning a K/BB ratio of 1:1 (21/21). Saunders has pitched well against the White Sox in his career, putting together five straight quality starts dating back to 2007.

The White Sox are 0-8 the last eight games off a win, while going 2-5 this season at home off a victory. The Angels are 8-4-1 to the 'over' in series openers this season, including a 5-1 'over' mark on the road.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-19-2010, 07:53 PM

Wednesday's Late Night Tips

There is no shortage of baseball on the card for us to peruse on Wednesday, which means there are more than enough chances for you to fall behind or make a killing at the betting shops. And we’ll have three late games on the schedule that will help us either get back to breaking even or fatten our bankroll. Let’s take a look at two of those tilts.

Tigers (22-16, +734) at Athletics (19-20, -4) – 10:05 p.m. EDT

Detroit has gone on a strong 4-2 run in its last six games of the season. Yet you don’t hear anything about the Tigers right now thanks to Minnesota, who are holding a two-game lead over the Tigers in the American League Central.

The Tigers will aim to get a quick leg up in this two-game set with Justin Verlander (4-2, 3.88) getting the starting nod. Verlander has gotten back on track with three straight winning starts that yielded 20 strikeouts to just eight walks and an earned run average of 1.71. Detroit has fared well when its ace starts on the road this season, evidenced by a 3-1 mark in his four appearances away from home.

Oakland is in a bit of a slide right now, having lost five of its last seven tests. Those contests all coming after Dallas Braden’s (4-3, 3.50) perfect game against the Rays. Braden regressed in his last start, giving up four earned runs on seven hits in eight innings of work at Los Angeles on May 14. Of course, that shouldn’t surprise anyone since he is 1-3 with a 4.18 ERA in his last four starts of the season.

It’s hard to think that Braden will break out of his funk in this game. He’s has gone 2-2 with a 7.34 ERA in six career starts against the Tigers.

Verlander hasn’t been anything to write home about when pitching at Oakland Coliseum, going 1-3 with a 3.38 ERA in five career starts.

Most betting shops are listing Detroit as a $1.20 road “chalk” (risk $120 to win $100) with a total of 7 ½.

The Tigers have gone 3-6 in their last nine games as a road squad facing southpaws.

Detroit is 8-11 on the highway this season with the ‘over’ going 11-7-1.

Oakland is 14-7 in 21 home tests so far in 2010. The ‘under’ has gone 12-8-1 in those tests.

Padres (23-15, +980) at Dodgers (21-17, -152) – 10:10 p.m. EDT

Perhaps we’re starting to see the Dodgers come around.

Los Angeles has won nine of its last 10 games to offset a 6-8 run before this recent surge. As good as this run is for Joe Torre’s club, they’re still sitting in third place in the National League West right now.

This era of good feeling might be short lived for the Dodgers as Andre Ethier is set to be placed on the disabled list with a broken knuckle in his right pinkie finger. That means LA will be without the NL’s leading hitter as he’s leads in batting average (.392), home runs (11) and runs batted in (38).

While Ramon Ortiz (1-1, 5.40) can’t swing the bat; he’ll do his part to keep Los Angeles in the game with his work on the mound. Ortiz wasn’t all that great in his first start of the season, giving up three earned runs in four innings of work on May 14 at San Diego. As lackluster as those number are, it was just enough for the Dodgers to win 4-3.

San Diego still holds the top spot in the NL West with little help from its offense. The Padres are 26th in Major League Baseball in team batting averaging, hitting .236 with just 28 homers. It’s a good thing that they have some great pitching right now.

The Fathers have the best ERA in the Senior Circuit for starting pitchers this season (2.67) and second only to San Francisco in opponents batting average (.231). San Diego Ace Jon Garland (4-2, 1.88) will take to the mound to help keep up the pace.

Garland has the added motivation for this start after losing on May 14 at home to the Dodgers. He did outpitch Ortiz in that game though, allowing two earned runs on six hits in six innings.

Los Angeles has been posted as a $1.10 home favorite with a total of eight.

San Diego has gone 5-4 this season as a road pup against clubs in the NL West. The Pads have won four of their last five in this spot. The ‘under’ has gone 6-1-2 in this situation as well.

The Dodgers are 5-1 in six tilts as home faves against NL West foes in 2010, including a 4-0 run recently. The ‘over’ is 5-1 in this situation as well.

LA is 10-4 when listed as a home “chalk” this year with the ‘over’ going 10-4.

San Diego is just 8-6 this season as a road pup, but they have won four of it last five in this spot. The ‘under’ is 9-3-2.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-19-2010, 07:54 PM

Diamond Trends - Wednesday

Rockies at Astros – The Rockies are 0-6 since August 28, 2009 on the road after a loss and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $640 when playing against. The Astros are 0-10 since October 04, 2009 after a loss in which they allowed 5+ walks for a net profit of $1075 when playing against. The Astros are 0-9 since August 04, 2009 when Felipe Paulino starts at home for a net profit of $985 when playing against.

Tigers at Athletics – The Tigers are 6-0 since May 03, 2009 when Justin Verlander starts as a favorite in May for a net profit of $600. The Athletics are 5-0 since April 13, 2009 when Dallas Braden starts as a home dog for a net profit of $640.

Reds at Braves – The Braves are 0-5 since April 16, 2009 when Kenshin Kawakami starts after more strike outs than hits allowed and they won in his previous start for a net profit of $530 when playing against. The Braves are 0-4 since August 14, 2009 as a home favorite vs a team that has won at least their last two games and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $615 when playing against.

Marlins at Cardinals – The League is 0-10 since April 13, 2010 as a 140+ dog after a 5+ run win and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $1000 when playing against. The Marlins are 0-5 since April 21, 2009 when Anibal Sanchez starts after going at least 6 innings and giving up no home runs and they won in his previous start for a net profit of $625 when playing against. The Cardinals are 9-0 since May 07, 2009 at home after a win in which they left fewer than 10 men on base for a net profit of $900

Giants at Diamondbacks – The Diamondbacks are 9-0 since April 06, 2009 as a home 140+ favorite and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $900

Royals at Indians – The Royals are 0-6 since April 21, 2009 on the road after a one run loss and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $645 when playing against. The Indians are 0-7 since September 11, 2009 when they are off a loss in which they never led and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $705 when playing against. The Indians are 0-6 since August 25, 2009 when Justin Masterson starts after throwing more than 100 pitches for a net profit of $600 when playing against.

Blue Jays at Mariners – The Blue Jays are 6-0 since September 26, 2009 after a win in which they drew 1 or fewer walks for a net profit of $770. The Blue Jays are 0-6 since May 20, 2009 when Brett Cecil starts as a dog after his team won the last time he started for a net profit of $600 when playing against.

Mets at Nationals – The Nationals are 6-0 since September 28, 2009 at home after a loss in which they had a higher team-left-on-base than their opponent for a net profit of $715.

Cubs at Phillies – The Phillies are 10-0 since September 08, 2009 after a one run loss for a net profit of $1010. The Phillies are 0-5 since May 25, 2009 when Jamie Moyer starts as a favorite after throwing more than 100 pitches and ts:site=away for a net profit of $650 when playing against.

Brewers at Pirates – The League is 0-7 since June 23, 2009 as a home dog vs a team that has lost at least their last four games and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $700 when playing against.

Orioles at Rangers – The Orioles are 4-0 since September 11, 2009 as a dog vs a team that has won at least their last two games and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $690. The Orioles are 0-6 since May 30, 2009 after a win in which their starter pitched at least 8 innings for a net profit of $645 when playing against. The Orioles are 0-6 since August 31, 2009 when Jeremy Guthrie starts as a 140+ dog after a quality start for a net profit of $600 when playing against. The Rangers are 9-0 since April 28, 2009 as a favorite after a win in which their opponent left fewer than 10 men on base for a net profit of $900.

Twins at Red Sox – The Twins are 0-7 since May 19, 2009 when Scott Baker starts as a dog vs a team that has hit more grounders than fly balls season-to-date for a net profit of $700 when playing against. The Twins are 6-0 since September 07, 2009 on the road after a loss and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $625. The Twins are 5-0 since June 23, 2009 as a dog after a loss in which they allowed 1 or fewer walks for a net profit of $630.

Angels at White Sox – The Angels are 0-8 since June 30, 2009 as a road dog when they won the last two games their starter started for a net profit of $800 when playing against. The Angels are 0-6 since May 15, 2009 when Joe Saunders starts on the road after throwing more than 100 pitches at home for a net profit of $620 when playing against. The White Sox are 0-6 since August 06, 2009 at home after a win in which they had fewer team-left-on-base than their opponent for a net profit of $885 when playing against.

Rays at Yankees – The Rays are 6-0 since May 01, 2009 as a dog after a win in which they drew 5+ walks for a net profit of $765. The Yankees are 14-0 since April 17, 2009 at home after a loss in which they had a higher team-left-on-base than their opponent for a net profit of $1400. The Yankees are 9-0 since June 12, 2009 at home after a loss and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $900. The Yankees are 5-0 since June 02, 2009 when A.J. Burnett starts at home after walking at least 4 and they won in his previous start for a net profit of $500.

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The Bum's Wednesday's Best Bets MLB-NBA-WNBA !

The Bum's Wednesday's Best Bets MLB-NBA-WNBA !

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