Announcement

**Udog** · 05-27-2010, 11:09 PM

Guys,

Friday is going to be very tough to get the posting done. I've got different responsibilities on the job and will be very busy until early afternoon. After the 5:00am posts, I may not be able to do anything until afternoon. I'll get as much as I can before I have to stop.

The only day game is Cards/Cubs. I don't know that I can get baseball finished by gametime, though.

I'll do the best I can. With a little luck, most of it will be up by the time I start the 5:00am posts. It could be the only things we'll have to wait on are the short sheets.

If any of you guys see any missing stuff anywhere, please grab it and throw it in here.

**Udog** · 05-27-2010, 11:10 PM

Daily Sports Roundup: May 28

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Blue Jays get a visit from the Orioles, the Cards play a matinee in Chicago, and the Celtics and Magic continue the East Finals.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The Magic will be looking to tie up the Eastern Finals at three games apiece on Friday night when they play on the road in Boston in Game 6 of the best-of-seven set. Orlando cut the series deficit to 3-2 on Wednesday night with a 113-92 home win in Game 5 as a 4.5-point favorite. Jameer Nelson scored a team-high 24 points for the Magic in that victory, while Dwight Howard picked up 21 points and 10 rebounds in the contest. J.J. Redick scored 14 points off the bench. Rasheed Wallace led the Celtics with 21 points in Wednesday's loss but left the game with a sore back. Boston also lost both Marquis Daniels (concussion) and Glen Davis (concussion) to injuries in Game 5.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The American League schedule for Friday has Oakland at Detroit, Cleveland at the Yankees, Kansas City at Boston, the White Sox at Tampa Bay, Texas at Minnesota, Seattle at the Angels, and Baltimore at Toronto. Kevin Millwood (0-4, 3.71 ERA) is scheduled to take on Shaun Marcum (4-1, 2.82 ERA) in that Orioles/Blue Jays matchup. Righthander Millwood has given up three or fewer earned runs in eight of his 10 starts this season, but he's yet to break into the win column; Millwood lost to Toronto back on April 11. Righthander Marcum has won each of his last three starts, holding the Diamondbacks to three earned runs over five innings of work last time out.

Over in the National League on Friday it'll be Philadelphia at Florida, Houston at Cincinnati, Pittsburgh at Atlanta, the Mets at Milwaukee, the Dodgers at Colorado, Washington at San Diego, Arizona at San Francisco, and St. Louis at the Cubs. The Cardinals will send Chris Carpenter (5-1, 3.09 ERA) to the mound on Friday afternoon to take on Chicago's Randy Wells (3-2, 3.99 ERA). Righthander Carpenter took a no-decision in his start against the Angels last time out, allowing four earned runs over his six innings of work. Righthander Wells settled for a no-decision against the Rangers in his last start despite giving up three earned runs over 8 1-3 innings pitched.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

Finally, there are three games on the WNBA's schedule for Friday, with New York at San Antonio, Washington at Los Angeles, and Atlanta at Phoenix. The Dream have been perfect both on the scoreboard and at the window so far this season, going 4-0 straight-up and against-the-spread through four games; Atlanta got past New York 86-77 last time out behind 21 points from Angel McCoughtry. The Mercury (2-1 SU, 1-2 ATS) rolled to a 110-96 road win over Tulsa last time out, with Diana Taurasi scoring a game-high 35 points in that victory. Penny Taylor was good for 29 points in the contest.

**Udog** · 05-27-2010, 11:11 PM

Bettor's best friend: Friday's wagering tips

Line off the board

Dodgers at Cubs – The uncertainty of wind speed and direction at Wrigley has kept this game’s total from being posted.

Lines to keep an eye on

Nationals at Padres – The home team surfaced as -165 favorites but that number has slipped to as low as -145 on a few boards.

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

Nationals at Padres – A 14 mph wind is projected to blow in from right field at pitcher-friendly PETCO Park.

Dodgers at Rockies – The forecast calls for wind to blow out to left-center field at 16 mph. A 20 percent chance of precipitation is also expected.

Phillies at Marlins – A 30 percent chance of rain is in the forecast.

Pirates at Braves – A 40 percent chance of thunderstorms could bring rain.

Who’s hot

Washington (WNBA) has won three straight ATS versus L.A. and is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 of the series.

The Magic have won two in a row ATS and the last two games in this series have gone OVER.

Boston (MLB) is riding a five-game winning streak after sweeping the Rays and is 8-2 in last 10.

Who’s not

The New York Liberty is 0-3 ATS in its last three games.

Arizona has lost four consecutive games.

The Astros lost Thursday’s game in extra innings after taking a lead into the ninth and have dropped 7-of-10.

Key date

June 8 – Date phenom pitcher Stephen Strasburg is expected to make his MLB debut with Washington. The Nationals haven’t officially announced that date but said he would start against the Pirates so either June 8, 9 or 10. The ploy is an attempt to sell more tickets to the other games in the series.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Lohse has an uncommon condition and could miss the rest of the season. Lohse was diagnosed on Wednesday with compartment syndrome, a condition in which the sheath covering a muscle in his forearm prevents the muscle from expanding. The condition causes Lohse to develop a cramping sensation which in turn gives him less movement on his two-seam fastball. Lohse’s options are to have surgery or become a short-inning specialist reliever.

Game of the day

Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics (-3, 189)

Notable quotable

"I would doubt that players would get affected by what happened in another sport. I would have a hard time believing that. I don't think most of our guys on any of our teams follow hockey very much."

-- Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy said of the possibility that his players could upset the Celtics after trailing 3-0 in the series the same way the Flyers did against the Bruins.

Tips and notes

- Checking the wind speed and direction at Wrigley Field before gametime is imperative for any baseball totals capper. But it looks as if the oddsmakers have the Cubs’ home park pegged. The over/under record for games played at Wrigley with a total at 8.5 or less is 2-11. When the books post a total of 9.5 or higher the over/under record is 6-0. When the wind is blowing directly in from center field this season, the UNDER is 6-0 and on Friday an 11 mph wind is projected to gust in from center.

- Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick was on the verge of being demoted to Triple-A or the bullpen at the beginning of May. At that point he was carrying a 7.61 ERA after five starts and pitching coach Rich Dubee said Kendrick’s “tempo and efficiency” needed to pick up. Toss out an ugly outing versus the surging Red Sox and the righty has gone 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA since the wakeup call (3.93 including Boston game). The Phils went 3-0 in all three of those starts and are +105 dogs with Kendrick on the bump Friday.

- Jason Bohn is tied for the lead at Colonial heading into Round 2 after posting a career-low 63 Thursday. But the 37-year-old could begin to wear down as this golf tournament goes on. Bohn woke up at 1 a.m. Thursday morning with sharp pains in his ear. He ended up having an infection and head cold, which was passed on by his sons, and did not get much sleep going into the tourney. Bohn said the infection didn’t affect his play (clearly) but equilibrium can always be a problem when dealing with ears. Wagering on the other side of a head-to-head matchup with Bohn may prove to be fruitful over the next three days.

**Udog** · 05-27-2010, 11:12 PM

NBA

Friday, May 28

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

8:30 PM
ORLANDO vs. BOSTON
Orlando is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games
Orlando is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Boston is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games at home
Boston is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home

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

**Udog** · 05-27-2010, 11:13 PM

NBA

Friday, May 28

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

Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics (-3, 189)

The Celtics are on the verge of doing what their fellow Bostonians did on the ice – lose a seven-game playoff series after jumping out to a 3-0 lead.

History bodes well for the Green; however, as no basketball team has ever recovered to win a postseason set down three games to none.

"We know what we haven't done, and what we need to do," Doc Rivers said Thursday. "I think we'll be ready to do it tomorrow night."

Boston injuries are undoubtedly affecting the line in this game. The Celtics were 7-point favorites in the Game 4 elimination contest but now are given a 3-point spread in the same situation?

Glen Davis blacked out on the court after catching an elbow to the head and Rasheed Wallace’s back was so tender Thursday he couldn’t sit down to watch film. Reserve guard Marquis Daniels also sustained a concussion during the game.

The first two, more important, players are listed as gametime decisions Friday. But you have to expect both to be on the floor. This isn’t football where I player must sit out with concussion symptoms. Heck, Steve Nash can’t see out of one eye and has broken nose and still suits up for practice the next day.

Kendrick Perkins (ejection) and Big Baby only playing 36 minutes in Game 5 allowed Dwight Howard to dominate the paint. Superman scored 21 points while posting five blocks and 10 rebounds in the victory.

Those bodies that the Celts missed dearly Wednesday, as well as Wallace, will be out to Hack-A-Howard on Friday. Howard is only shooting 51 percent from the charity stripe in this series and that will prove to be the difference as Boston solidifies a spot in the NBA Finals.

Pick: Celtics

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

**Udog** · 05-27-2010, 11:14 PM

NBA

Friday, May 28

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game of the Day: Magic at Celtics
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics (-3.5, 189)

Boston leads series 3-2.

The skinny

A series that looked like a sweep a few days ago now has the Celtics taking a slim 3-2 lead into a pressure-packed Game 6 in Boston Friday night. Orlando has all the momentum going into Boston and will attempt to take another step toward overcoming an improbable 3-0 series deficit.

Boston has the home-court advantage, winning six of its eight home playoff games in 2010. But now, they may be dealing with various injuries to some key reserves. The road team and underdog is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings between these two and Orlando is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings in Boston.

Superman’s support

Dwight Howard has been nothing short of spectacular this series. He’s averaging 20.6 ppg, 10.6 rpg, and 3.4 blocks. Orlando expects a great performance by Howard night in and night out, so it’s going to be up to the supporting cast – specifically the 3-point shooters – to have an impact on winning this game.

Orlando has lived and died by the 3-point shot all season long and that hasn’t stopped in this series. The Magic were just 20 of 70 (28 percent) in the first three games. However, in the last two victories, they are 23-of-53 (43 percent) and they are looking a lot like the Orlando team that swept two straight series’ to get here.

"We're playing more of our game now, getting out in transition and just attacking and staying on the attack and trying to do it for 48 minutes," Magic point guard Jameer Nelson told reporters.

Nelson led the charge with a team-high four threes, but he enjoyed plenty of support. Six Magic players sank shots from 3-point range. A lot of Orlando’s success begins with Jameer Nelson. Nelson averaged just 14.6 ppg in the first three games of this series (all losses) and has averaged 23.5 ppg in the last two games (both Orlando victories).

It should be noted that no NBA team has won a series after losing the first three games. But the Magic believe 100 percent that they are going to win this series.

"We just all believe," Nelson said. "We all believe. We know we can do it, one game at a time."

Losing their edge

In the first three games of this series, the Celtics looked untouchable and destined to make their second finals appearance of the past three seasons.

Now, everything has turned upside down on Boston. Its hockey compatriot, the Bruins, know what it’s like to lose a 3-0 series lead and now the Celtics are coming close to joining them in their misery.

There’s obvious disappointment of dropping two close-out games, but head coach Doc Rivers insists that they aren’t panicking.

“It’s nothing that worries me,’’ Rivers told the media. “I don’t panic at all. This is playoff basketball, this is what it’s all about. It’s about being resilient. Being there for your teammates. This is what we do.’’

Still, the momentum they had built in the first three games of the series, let alone the feeling of dominance they had established after beating the Magic so thoroughly in Game 3, is gone.

To quote an overused cliché: defense wins championships. Boston’s defense, at times, has been impenetrable in the playoffs. And it’s apparent that when the Celtics’ defense plays well, they win.

They’ve allowed 77.0 points per game and haven’t allowed an opponent over 100 points in their 11 postseason wins. But in their five losses, they’ve allowed 107 ppg and four times allowed over 100 points.

Rajon Rondo averaged 18 ppg, 11 apg, and 6.2 rpg in the Celtics’ first two playoff series and garnered national attention for his strong play. But in this series, he’s been rather ineffective. His numbers are way down, averaging 14.4 ppg, 8.4 apg and 3.6 rpg. He’ll have to step up if the C’s are without some of their bigs in Game 6.

From the infirmary

Glen Davis, Marquise Daniels and Rasheed Wallace are all questionable heading into Game 6. Wallace tweaked his back and had to leave the game while Davis and Daniels are both being treated for concussions after scary blows to the head in Game 5. Boston's frontline will be very thin if Davis and Wallace can't go Friday and it could mean a huge game for Dwight Howard inside.

The Celtics lucked out when the NBA rescinded their technical foul call on starting center Kendrick Perkins. He was ejected in Game 5 after receiving a second technical foul of the game. But more importantly it was his seventh of the postseason – a mandatory suspension unless it is overturned. Perkins will play in Game 6 Friday night.

Trends

Orlando is 19-6-1 ATS in its last 26 games following a SU victory and 7-1 ATS in its last eight road games.

Boston is 5-2 ATS in its last seven playoff games as a favorite and 4-1 ATS in its last five games following a SU loss.

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

**Udog** · 05-27-2010, 11:15 PM

MLB

Friday, May 28

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

Los Angeles Dodgers at Colorado Rockies (-150, 9.5)

The wild NL West remains wide open, and that’s a good thing for the surging Rockies.

Colorado is riding a five-game winning streak and is 10-5 in its last 15 games. The Rocks are rolling, only three games behind the San Diego Padres and feel confident about going on a mile-high run.

"We're definitely playing better," said Troy Tulowitzki, who's homered four-of-five and is on an 11-game hitting streak. "We're playing defense, pitching a little better and getting some timely hitting, mixed in with some power."

All of those offensive components have equated to Colorado scoring 15 runs in its last two outings and blasting 11 homers over the last four.

Starting pitcher Jeff Francis will look to continue his great start to a rebound season Friday. Francis has yielded only one run in 13.1 innings on the mound in 2010 and is 5-3 with a 2.73 ERA in 14 starts against the Dodgers.

Pick: Rockies

Seattle Mariners at Los Angeles Angels (+100, 8)

Many pundits predicted these two teams would be the frontrunners in the AL West, not the cellar-dwellers.

But much like the NL West, a lengthy run from either squad could propel them to the top of the division.

Seattle has struggled mightily to plate runs this season, ranking last in the AL in that category, but the Mariners have scored five runs in each of their last two games. Each of those victories over the Tigers came after eighth-inning rallies.

"We really needed a defibrillator to come in here and give us a shock because we didn't have a heartbeat for quite some time," said Mike Sweeney, who is hitting .441 with 13 RBIs over the last 10 games. "We lost some tough games that zapped some out of us but the last couple of games have been huge for us."

The M’s will look to earn their third consecutive win while facing L.A.’s Scott Kazmir.

Kazmir was finally decent in his last outing (7.0 IP, 3 ER), but that came during interleague play and he faced one less hitter each time through the order while playing in St. Louis.

This will likely be a close, low-scoring affair but look for Seattle to extend its winning streak. Plus, this number is great value for a team with Cliff Lee on the mound.

Pick: Mariners

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

**Udog** · 05-27-2010, 11:16 PM

MLB

Friday, May 28

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Streaking

Shaun Marcum (4-1, 2.82), Toronto Blue Jays

Who needs Roy Halladay when you have Shaun Marcum?

The converted reliever who missed all of 2009 is a big reason the Jays are five games over .500 this year.

“His record really doesn’t show the way he’s pitched,” Toronto manager Cito Gaston said. “He’s pitched outstanding. We just haven’t been able to give him any runs a lot of the time.”

Toronto lost three one-run ballgames that were quality starts for Marcum and the righty has only surrendered more than three runs once all season.

Marcum has won three straight decisions, and four of five, and the Jays have won the last five games he’s started.

Randy Wells (3-2, 3.99), Chicago Cubs

All Randy Wells needed to recover from a mediocre start to the season was a jog around the park with veteran pitcher Ted Lilly.

"We just went for a little run and talked it over and talked about ways to get past it and have a short memory and work hard and get ready for the next start," Wells said of the jog after giving up five earned runs in 2.0 innings May 6.

Since that little pep talk, Wells has posted a 2.74 ERA with the Cubbies going 2-1 in those games – contests against ball-smashing clubs like the Marlins, Rangers and Rockies. The right-hander went at least 8.0 innings in two of those starts and struck out a total of 17 hitters.

Wells will oppose Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter Friday and Chicago is listed as a +115 home dog.

Debuting

Sam LeCure (N/A), Cincinnati Reds

As hot as the Reds pitching has been, the team could probably trot out the batting practice hurler and he would shut down the opposition.

Cincy is hoping that’s the case with Triple-A callup Sam LeCure Friday.

The right-hander will take Homer Bailey’s spot in the Reds rotation after Bailey was placed on the 15-day DL with an inflamed shoulder.

LeCure was 5-2 with a 2.55 ERA at Louisville this season. He started nine games for the Cincinnati affiliate and pitched one shutout.

Returning

Carlos Monasterios (1-0, 1.90), Los Angeles Dodgers

If you see the name C MONASTER on the betting board Friday don’t be alarmed…the Dodgers aren’t pulling Nessie out of Loch Ness for a spot start.

Instead, Joe Torre has asked middle reliever Carlos Monasterios to make his second start of the season. The righty made his starter debut back on May 1 and gave up one run in four innings of work against Pittsburgh.

“He definitely has good stuff, and he’s just starting to learn the slider,” said catcher Russell Martin. “And if he can use that with his curveball and mix in his changeup, there’s no doubt he can start.”

Monasterios has been an excellent option out of the bullpen this season for Los Angeles. He’s gone at least 2.0 innings in seven-of-11 relief appearances and has only surrendered five runs in 19.2 innings of work.

Don’t expect Monasterios to get deep into the game Friday as he will likely be on a tight pitch count.

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

**Udog** · 05-27-2010, 11:17 PM

MLB

Friday, May 28

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

On May 28 in Baseball History...

1941 - The New York Yankees nip the Washington Senators 6-5 in the first night game at Griffith Stadium.

1946 - The Washington Senators edge the New York Yankees 2-1 before 49,917 fans in the first night game at Yankee Stadium.

1951 - After going 0-for-12, Willie Mays connects for his first major-league hit, a home run off Braves pitcher Warren Spahn. The Giants lose the game 4-1.

1952 - The Giants Willie Mays enters the army. Although Mays is hitting just .236, the Giants are two and a half games up, in first place. They will lose eight of their next ten games.

1957 - The N.L. approves the proposed moves of the Dodgers and the Giants to the West Coast, provided both clubs make their request before October 1 and move at the same time.

1961 - After losing the first game 14-9 at home to Chicago, the Yankees take the nightcap 5-3 with the help of a Roger Maris home run. Maris's ninth home run of the season is one of 27 hit in today's seven A.L. games — a record. Twelve more homers in four N.L. games make a total of 39, a one-day major-league record for 11 games in both leagues.

1968 - The A.L. owners agree to the following divisional alignment for 1969: Eastern: Boston, New York, Cleveland, Baltimore, Washington, Detroit. Western: Chicago, Kansas City, Minnesota, Seattle, Oakland, California.

1971 - Clete Boyer, involved in a dispute with Braves owner Paul Richards and manager Lum Harris over alleged silly rules and mismanagement, gets his release and retires. Boyer had hit safely in the last nine games of his career, including five home runs and 14 RBI.

1986 - In his second start for the White Sox since being recalled from Triple-A Buffalo, Joe Cowley sets a major-league record by striking out the first seven Rangers he faces, but still surrenders six runs in 4 1/3 innings and loses 6-3. Cowley's record will be broken by Jim Deshaies before season's end.

1994 - Minnesota's Dave Winfield passes former Twin Rod Carew to move into 15th place on the all-time list with career hit 3,054.

1995 - The White Sox and Tigers combine for a major-league record 12 home runs at Tiger Stadium. The Tigers hit seven home runs, but still lose the 14-12 slugfest.

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

**Udog** · 05-27-2010, 11:18 PM

WNBA
Long Sheet

Friday, May 28

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

NEW YORK (1 - 2) at SAN ANTONIO (2 - 1) - 5/28/2010, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 54-35 ATS (+15.5 Units) in road games against Western conference opponents since 1997.
NEW YORK is 54-35 ATS (+15.5 Units) in road games in non-conference games since 1997.
NEW YORK is 63-41 ATS (+17.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
SAN ANTONIO is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 3-1 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 3-1 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

ATLANTA (4 - 0) at PHOENIX (2 - 1) - 5/28/2010, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 29-18 ATS (+9.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 126-95 ATS (+21.5 Units) as a favorite since 1997.
PHOENIX is 129-94 ATS (+25.6 Units) in home games since 1997.
PHOENIX is 26-16 ATS (+8.4 Units) after allowing 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 25-12 ATS (+11.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) in May, June, or July games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road games against Western conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) off an upset win as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 3-1 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 3-1 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

WASHINGTON (3 - 2) at LOS ANGELES (0 - 3) - 5/28/2010, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 181-227 ATS (-68.7 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 109-144 ATS (-49.4 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 3 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 27-15 ATS (+10.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 3-1 against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 2-2 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

**Udog** · 05-27-2010, 11:19 PM

WNBA

Friday, May 28

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lady Luck: Today's WNBA best bets
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Atlanta Dream at Phoenix Mercury (-6, 185.5)

The Atlanta Dream are off and running in the 2010 WNBA season.

They’ve started the season 4-0, recently defeating the talented New York Liberty, 86-77, last Sunday. Atlanta will see if it is for real when it faces the defending WNBA champs, the Phoenix Mercury, at the US Airways Center Friday night.

"(It's) the best start this team's ever had, but it's still just 4-0," leading-scorer Angel McCoughtry told reporters. "If we get to 10-0, then I'll be like 'OK'. It's too early."

"The more you win, the more you get confidence," she said. "And now our confidence is shooting up right now. We feel like we're unstoppable. That's how you should feel if you're undefeated."

The Dream have been getting the job done with a balanced attack, ranking second in team defense, allowing just under 73 points per game, while scoring 81 points a night – fourth in the league.

That combo has also equaled out to a perfect 4-0 record against the spread. That profitable mark will go up against the Mercury, who haven’t covered at home in two games this season. Expect Atlanta to slide under the oddsmakers’ radar against one of the WNBA’s most popular teams.

Pick: Atlanta

New York Liberty at San Antonio Silver Stars (-6, 157)

The San Antonio Silver Stars went from a mid-tier team in the Western Conference to a WNBA title favorite overnight with the addition of talented forward Chamique Holdsclaw.

Holdsclaw, who was released by the Atlanta Dream last week, joined the Silver Stars Friday and scored 19 points in her debut with the team in an 88-81 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks Saturday.

“Chamique is just a ball player,” San Antonio coach Sandy Brondello told the Express-News. “She lifted our game to another level and took a lot of pressure off the players around her.”

Holdsclaw is a former Rookie of the Year winner and a six-time WNBA All-Star, but also a troubled player who retired briefly two years ago after dealing with family issues. She missed time last season due to a knee injury, but if she is healthy and motivated, Holdsclaw is one of the best players in the league.

Having Holdsclaw takes the scoring load off guard Becky Hammon and forward Sophia Young, who combine for 40 percent of the Silver Stars’ scoring this season. This team will only get better as time goes on.

Pick: San Antonio

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

**Udog** · 05-27-2010, 11:20 PM

NOTE:
For the initial posting of trends and indexes, we have provided information available up to the time of posting.
Additional updates for today’s games will be posted ASAP.

**Louie** · 05-28-2010, 05:17 AM

thnx udog have a great weekend!!!!!!!!!

**Udog** · 05-28-2010, 06:23 AM

Thanks, Louie! You have a great weekend, too! Good luck!

Announcement

Friday's Trends and Indexes 5/28 (NBA, MLB, WNBA, Misc.)

Friday's Trends and Indexes 5/28 (NBA, MLB, WNBA, Misc.)

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment