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**Udog** · 06-05-2010, 07:01 AM

Daily Sports Roundup: June 5

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Athletics play host to the Twins, the Braves continue their set in Los Angeles, and horse racing offers up the 2010 Belmont Stakes.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The American League schedule for Saturday has the Yankees at Toronto, the Angels at Seattle, Tampa Bay at Texas, Boston at Baltimore, Cleveland at the White Sox, Detroit at Kansas City, and Minnesota at Oakland. The Twins' Francisco Liriano (5-3, 3.29 ERA) is slated to take on the Athletics' Trevor Cahill (4-2, 3.02 ERA) in that last matchup. Lefthander Liriano picked up his first win in almost a month last time out, holding the Mariners to three earned runs on eight hits over six innings while fanning seven. Righthander Cahill won in Detroit in his last trip to the mound, surrendering just one earned run on five hits over 6 1-3 innings that day, while striking out three batters.

Over in the National League on Saturday it'll be Milwaukee at St. Louis, Florida at the Mets, San Francisco at Pittsburgh, San Diego at Philadelphia, Cincinnati at Washington, Colorado at Arizona, the Cubs at Houston, and Atlanta at the Dodgers. Tommy Hanson (5-3, 3.78 ERA) is the probable pitcher for the Braves on Saturday, while Chad Billingsley (6-2, 3.74 ERA) gets the ball for Los Angeles. Righthander Hanson grabbed the win against the Phillies in his most recent start, giving up just one earned run on three hits over 6 2-3 innings of work. Righthander Billingsley took a no-decision against the D-Backs last game, allowing four earned runs over eight innings.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

The 2010 Belmont Stakes hits the track on Saturday, with Ice Box pegged at 11/4 by the oddsmakers to win the third jewel of the Triple Crown. First Dude is next at 15/4 odds for Saturday, with Fly Down (9/2), Make Music for Me (9/1), and Game On Dude (10/1) rounding out the top five contenders. Stately Victor and Interactif are both pegged at 12/1 odds to win the Belmont Stakes, followed by each of Uptowncharlybrown and Drosselmeyer at 15/1. Stay Put is farther back on the list at 20/1 odds, with Dave in Dixie and Spangled Star the 25/1 longshots to grab the trophy.

Finally, the WNBA offers up four games on Saturday, with New York at Indiana, Atlanta at Washington, Tulsa at Chicago, and Seattle at Los Angeles. The Storm lead the Western Conference standings at 6-1 (4-3 against-the-spread) through seven games, knocking off Atlanta 90-72 last time out. Lauren Jackson led the way with 32 points for Seattle in that contest, while Camille Little poured in 15 points in that victory.

**Udog** · 06-05-2010, 07:01 AM

Bettor's best friend: Saturday's wagering tips

Lines to keep an eye on

Seattle Storm at Los Angeles Sparks – The home team opened as 1.5-point pups but has moved to 3.5-point underdogs on most boards. L.A. is 4-1 ATS in its last five games versus Seattle.

Giants at Pirates – The total in this game has moved from 8 to 7.5, possibly because of the weather (see below).

Padres at Phillies – The home team opened as -185 chalk but sharp money has moved Philly to -210 favorites. The total surfaced at 7.5 but that number has been bet down to 7 and even 6.5 at one shop.

Reds at Nationals – An opening total of 9 has dropped to 8.5.

Red Sox at Orioles – Most books have moved the total in this game to 9.5 after opening at 9.

Cubs at Astros – Sportsbooks have moved the total in this game to 8 after opening at 8.5.

Rays at Rangers – Some markets have moved the total in this game to 10 after opening at 9.5.

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

The Belmont Stakes forecast calls for a 60 percent chance of rain with scattered thunderstorms throughout the day on Saturday. This could mean an off track at Belmont Park for the last leg of the Triple Crown.

Brewers at Cardinals – The National Weather Service forecast calls for a 13 mph wind to blow across from right field. There is also a 30 percent chance of precipitation during the game.

Indians at White Sox – There is a chance this game might not get played with a 70 percent chance of rain expected throughout the evening.

Tigers at Royals – A 14 mph wind is projected to blow out to left field and there is also a 30 percent chance of precipitation.

Red Sox at Orioles – A 40 percent chance of rain is called for.

Reds at Nationals – A 40 percent chance of rain is in the forecast.

Padres at Phillies – There is a 30-40 percent chance of rain with a 12 mph wind blowing out to center.

Giants at Pirates – There is a 70 percent chance of rain expected throughout the evening.

Marlins at Mets – The NWS forecast calls for a 14 mph wind to blow out to center field. There is also a 30 percent chance of precipitation during the game.

Who’s hot

Indiana (WNBA) is 5-0 ATS in its last four meetings versus New York.

The Mets had won five straight home games going into Friday.

Tampa Bay was 8-2 in its last 10 road games as of Friday.

Who’s not

Dallas (AFL) is 0-4 SU and ATS in its last four games and is laying 7.5 points Saturday.

With the Phillies offensive struggles, the UNDER is 11-3-1 in the team’s last 15 games.

The Sparks (WNBA) are 1-4 SU and 1-3-1 ATS this season.

Key stat

47-0 – Playoff series record for Phil Jackson-led teams when winning the first game of the series. The Lakers were -180 favorites to win the NBA Finals going into it and now are listed at -330.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Braves third baseman Chipper Jones could miss games this weekend with a finger injury. Jones may need a cortisone shot in his inflamed right ring finger if the swelling does not subside and was instructed by the team doctor to “take a couple of days” off. The veteran switch-hitter is batting .240 with three homers and 21 RBIs this season and would be replaced by Omar Infante.

Notable quotable

"I think I prove it every night. I believe I have the upper hand almost every night in matchups. In the situation I'm in, a couple other point guards might say I dominate the ball, but they dominate the ball way more than I do."

-- Celtics’ Rajon Rondo said when asked if he thought he was the best point guard in the league.

Tips and notes

- If you trust the stock brokers, you might want to check out this report from JP Morgan. The firm has released its predictions for the World Cup based on quantitative analysis of data that included the FIFA rankings, the latest odds for each team, betting trends for team over a six-month period, results from prior WCs and qualifying tournaments, results from the last 12 months, public perception, team fundamentals and success ratio. JP Morgan predicted England (+600) will defeat the favorite Spain in the final match with the Netherlands coming in third.

- In 90 starts at PETCO Park, Jake Peavy compiled a 2.74 ERA. In 137 starts elsewhere he has nearly a 4.00 ERA. The former Cy Young winner is finding it much more difficult to pitch in the hitting-happy AL where he has a 6.23 ERA with the White Sox. The last five games Peavy has started have gone OVER and the over/under record is 8-2-1 in his 11 outings this season. Cleveland’s Mitch Talbot will oppose Peavy Saturday and his last five starts have also gone OVER the posted total. The total for this game sits at 9 (+100) right now and could come down with rain expected throughout. Sometimes rain can help a pitcher, but it can also favor offenses because fielding conditions are not ideal.

- Nick Zito has trained two of the last six Belmont Stakes winners. He specializes in horses that are groomed for a longer track and won with long shots Birdstone (36-1) in 2004 and Da’ Tara (38-1) in 2008. Zito has two horses in this year’s race and they are two of the top three favorites. Ice Box (3-1) will start from the No. 6 spot and directly to the right of him will be Fly Down (9-2). Uptowncharlybrown’s trainer Kiaran McLaughlin admitted that “Nick's going to be tough to beat” and First Dude trainer Dale Romans said "Ice Box is going to be tough, especially in this race.” Ice Box and Stately Victor are the only two Grade 1 winners in the Belmont field.

**Udog** · 06-05-2010, 07:02 AM

Saturday's six-pack

-- Kansas City's David DeJesus is 16-34 in nine games since his son was born.

-- Toronto's Jose Bautista is hitting .355 with 11 HRs and 22 RBI in his last twenty games.

-- Met closer Francisco Rodriguez has thrown 97 pitches in the Mets' last three games; luckily, they had a day off in the middle there.

-- Andy Pettitte is 6-0, 1.12 in day games this season.

-- In 32 games since May 1, Justin Morneau is hitting .388 with eight HRs and 23 RBI.

-- Houston Astros won five of their last six games.

************************************************** ******

Saturday's List of 13: Random Saturday stuff............

13) Last time the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup (1961), Babe Ruth still held the single season home run record.

12) Sounds like the Big 12 will stay as is if Nebraska turns down an offer to join an expanded Big 11. If the Cornhuskers bolt, Texas/Oklahoma are picking up their balls and shoulder pads and heading to the new Pac-16, all of which could leave Kansas/Kansas State basketball out in the cold.

11) Think about it; if Nebraska/Missouri go to Big 11, and six schools go to the Pac-10, that leaves Baylor/Iowa State and two Kansas schools as leftovers to go to either the Mountain West or Conference USA, unless they would annex Houston/UTEP/TCU and Memphis to form another new league of their own. Once this starts, if it starts, it could get very chaotic. TV revenue is driving all of this, TV revenue from football.

10) Did you know the pitchers' mound for womens' softball is three feet closer (43 feet) to home plate than the Little League distance (46 feet)?

9) They should use aluminum bats in the Home Run Derby. If memory serves me correctly, they may have used metal bats at one of the first-- I remember Willie Stargell swinging an aluminum bat, but I could be wrong.

8) 4th of July weekend, NBA should sponsor a 64-player, one-on-one tournament, with each player playing for a charity of his choice. It would be televised like a telethon format, so people can call up and contribute to the charities too-- it would be freakin' huge.

7) Its going to be weird seeing empty seats at Jets/Giants games, because of the new PSL ripoff that each team has perpetrated on its loyal fans.

6) After watching a clip of phenom Bryce Harper getting tossed from a junior college tournament game, if I run the Nationals, we pass on this kid and draft someone else. Too many red flags, way too many-- he reminds me of Todd Marinovich (skipped last year of high school) or Ryan Leaf (doesn't play well with others) plus his agent, Scumweasel Scott Boras, doesn't want him to catch (shortens career/earning power). But he does want the kid to get paid millions. Baseball drafting is an inexact science, moreso than the other sports. This kid is a disaster waiting to happen.

5) Speaking of which, MLB Draft is 6pm Monday on MLB Network, the terrific free channel whose one-hour nightly highlight show, Quick Pitch, is mandatory viewing for any baseball fan. Terrific nightly show.

4) Rumors have the Padres shopping closer Heath Bell; they cannot dump salary while in first place, it wouldn't be good. Comissioner (and former used car salesman) Selig should tell Padres this would be frowned upon. Why would a first place team even think of doing something like that?

3) Crowd for big Bronx-Toronto game Friday night: 30,089. Not bad, as the Stanley Cup finals were on TV, but if they don't sell out at least one of the remianing games this weekend, its not a good sign for Blue Jays, who are a terrific team and a great story this season.

2) NHL does its draft right, moving it around to different cities around North America. This year its LA. Will be fun seeing every executive in the league on floor of the Staples Center. More leagues should follow suit.

1) Hopefully, some politician or cabinet member is revising the laws on our country's oil wells. There has to be a shutoff valve in case things go terribly wrong. Who would dispute this? What genius didn't put that in the original laws? Why does it take a nightmare to wake people up?

**Udog** · 06-05-2010, 07:07 AM

MLB

Saturday, June 5

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Trend Report
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1:07 PM
NY YANKEES vs. TORONTO
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
NY Yankees are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games on the road
Toronto is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing NY Yankees
Toronto is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

4:10 PM
FLORIDA vs. NY METS
Florida is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Florida's last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
NY Mets are 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Florida
NY Mets are 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

4:10 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. ST. LOUIS
Milwaukee is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 9 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
St. Louis is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games when playing Milwaukee

4:10 PM
LA ANGELS vs. SEATTLE
LA Angels are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games on the road
LA Angels are 15-7 SU in their last 22 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Seattle is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
Seattle is 2-8 SU in their last 10 games when playing LA Angels

7:05 PM
CLEVELAND vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
Cleveland is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games
Chi White Sox are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 5 games at home

7:05 PM
BOSTON vs. BALTIMORE
Boston is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games when playing Baltimore
Boston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Baltimore's last 7 games at home
Baltimore is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home

7:05 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. PITTSBURGH
San Francisco is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Pittsburgh
San Francisco is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games at home
Pittsburgh is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against San Francisco

7:05 PM
CINCINNATI vs. WASHINGTON
Cincinnati is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Cincinnati
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games at home

7:05 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of San Diego's last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of San Diego's last 25 games
Philadelphia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Philadelphia's last 10 games

7:05 PM
CHI CUBS vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games on the road
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs

7:10 PM
DETROIT vs. KANSAS CITY
Detroit is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games
Detroit is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing Kansas City
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas City's last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
Kansas City is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games at home

8:05 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. TEXAS
Tampa Bay is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Texas
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Texas's last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay
Texas is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay

8:10 PM
COLORADO vs. ARIZONA
Colorado is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing Arizona
Colorado is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games
Arizona is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games
Arizona is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing Colorado

9:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. OAKLAND
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Minnesota is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oakland's last 6 games
Oakland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games

10:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. LA DODGERS
Atlanta is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Atlanta's last 16 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
LA Dodgers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Dodgers's last 7 games when playing Atlanta

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**Udog** · 06-05-2010, 07:09 AM

MLB

Saturday, June 5

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Hot Lines: Today's best MLB bets
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San Francisco Giants at Pittsburgh Pirates (-110, 8.5)

If the Giants are still in contention at the break, and they should be, team management will be looking to trade for a bat to place in the middle of the order.

Until then, San Francisco has turned to Pat Burrell in hopes of jumpstarting an anemic offense. But in case the Giants scouts didn’t do their jobs, they should be aware Pat the Bat is a career .253 hitter.

"It wasn't like he missed all year," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of Burrell after being recalled from Triple-A. "The consensus was, he's ready."

Being “ready” is relative. Burrell was hitting .313 in 16 at-bats in the minors but in 24 games with the Rays this season, he hit .202 with two home runs and 13 RBIs – not exactly an offensive juggernaut.

The Jints have plated the fifth-fewest runs in baseball this season and have only hit 40 homers. Burrell may contribute some offensively but he won’t keep this squad from playing low-scoring games – the under has cashed in three straight.

Pick: Under

Atlanta Braves at Los Angeles Dodgers (-115, 7.5)

Step aside two-time defending NL champion Philadelphia, the Braves are the new bullies of the East.

Atlanta had won nine straight going into Friday and has only lost a fistful of games in its last 25. Veteran pitcher Tim Hudson, who has been with the Braves since 2005, says this is the best team he’s been on.

“This team that we have right here, for me, is my favorite one since I’ve been here,” Hudson said. “I feel like it’s the best team chemistry and the best personality since I’ve been here. I think our play shows the kind of baseball that we bring to the field and it’s the same kind of personality that we have in the locker room.”

Keywords such as “team chemistry” and “personality” are exactly what you want to hear as a bettor.

Atlanta is 3-0 in the last three games Tommy Hanson has started and is 8-2 in his 10 outings this season. This young stud is getting too good of odds to pass up Saturday.

Pick: Braves

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**Udog** · 06-05-2010, 07:11 AM

MLB

Saturday, June 5

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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streaking

Andy Pettitte, New York Yankees

It’s easy to forget about Pettitte sometimes in the Yankees rotation. CC Sabathia is the ace (or at least he’s supposed to be), A.J. Burnett has the best stuff, Phil Hughes is the young stud and Javier Vazquez is the disappointing offseason pickup.

But all the Yanks do is win games whenever this veteran hurler takes the bump. New York is 9-1 straight up and 8-2 on the runline in Pettitte’s 10 starts this season.

Pettitte, outside of one bad outing against the Rays, has been lights out this season. He’s got quality starts in eight of his 10 appearances and owns a spiffy 2.48 ERA.

Ervin Santana, Los Angeles Angels

No one’s ever questioned Santana’s talent. When he’s on his game, there are few pitchers in the big leagues with better swing-and-miss stuff. But because he sometimes struggles getting the ball over the plate, Santana’s ascent has been a long process.

He’s in one of his good zones right now. He’s 4-0, sports a 1.86 ERA along with 28 strikeouts compared to just seven walks over his last four trips to the bump.

"His slider, I don't know if you'd call it devastating, but it was just short of devastating," Royals manager Ned Yost told the Associated Press after Santana held Kansas City to one run in seven innings of work earlier this week.

Slumping

Jake Peavy, Chicago White Sox

We’re only two months into the season but it must seem like a lot longer for this Chicago hurler. Peavy is enduring his worst year as a pro and you have to wonder how long the former Cy Young winner can keep his spot in the rotation.

Peavy’s five-inning, five-run start earlier this week marked the sixth time in 11 appearances that he’s allowed five or more runs. Total bettors will be happy to know the over is 5-0 in his last five outings and 7-1 in his last eight.

The former Padre is striking out batters at a high rate and not walking many batters, but he’s been taken out of the park seven times in his last five appearances.

“I just didn’t have very good stuff at all,” he told reporters after surrendering six earned runs to the Indians in his second to last start. “When you’re not sharp you better be good with location. I made some bad pitches early.”

Returning

Jonathon Niese, New York Mets

The Mets hope Niese’s recent stint on the 15-day disabled list will cure the lefty’s issues. Before heading to the DL, Niese pitched three straight ugly games and left his final start after just two innings and with five runs for the opposition on the board.

Niese’s return is drawing a lot of attention because the Mets wanted to send down lefty Oliver Perez to make room for Niese but Perez refused the demotion. New York ended up having to send down a contributing player for Niese to gain a spot on the roster.

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**Udog** · 06-05-2010, 07:11 AM

MLB

Saturday, June 5

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This Day in Baseball
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On June 5 in Baseball History...

1948 - Richie Ashburn of the Phillies hits safely for the 23rd straight game in a 6-5 win at Chicago, setting a 20th-century N.L. record for a rookie.

1974 - Oakland's Reggie Jackson and Billy North engage in a clubhouse fight at Detroit. Jackson injures his shoulder, and Ray Fosse, attempting to separate the combatants, suffers a crushed disk in his neck that virtually ends his season.

1977 - The Dodgers retire former manager Walter Alston's uniform, number 24, on Old-Timers Day. Doug Rau then pitches the current Dodgers to a 4-2 win over the Padres.

1981 - Houston's Nolan Ryan passes Early Wynn as baseball's all-time walks allowed leader, giving up two walks in a 3-0 win over the Mets to raise his total to 1,777. Ryan also fans ten batters while pitching a five-hitter.

1987 - Dwight Gooden returns from drug rehabilitation and allows one run in six and two-thirds innings to earn the win as the Mets beat the Pirates 5-1 at Shea Stadium.

1989 - The Toronto SkyDome opens, but the Blue Jays lose 5-3 to the Brewers. Baseball's newest and most modern stadium features a fully retractable roof, a hotel, the world's largest video display board, and a Hard Rock Cafe.

1997 - Seattle shortstop Alex Rodriguez becomes only the second Mariners player ever to hit for the cycle in a 14-6 victory at Detroit. Rodriguez did it the hard way, hitting his triple in the eighth and his double in the ninth. A lucky Mariners fan collected a $1 million prize in a radio promotion due to Rodriguez's feat.

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**Udog** · 06-05-2010, 07:14 AM

WNBA

Saturday, June 5

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
ATLANTA vs. WASHINGTON
Atlanta is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Washington
Atlanta is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Washington
Washington is 6-1-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Washington is 4-1-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home

7:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. INDIANA
New York is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Indiana
New York is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Indiana is 20-4 SU in its last 24 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games at home

8:00 PM
TULSA vs. CHICAGO
Tulsa is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Tulsa is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Chicago is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Chicago is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games at home

11:00 PM
SEATTLE vs. LOS ANGELES
Seattle is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Seattle's last 9 games
Los Angeles is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Seattle
Los Angeles is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Seattle

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**Udog** · 06-05-2010, 07:15 AM

WNBA

Saturday, June 5

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Lady Luck: Today's WNBA best bets
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Seattle Storm at Los Angeles Sparks (+2, 151)

As far as WNBA rivalries go, this is probably the best.

However, this war in the West could be a little lopsided in 2010. Seattle looks to be heads-and-shoulders above L.A., serving the Sparks an 81-67 season-opening beating in the Emerald City back in mid May.

The Storm have been at the top of their game, going 6-1 and coming off a huge statement win over the Atlanta Dream earlier this week. Seattle handed Atlanta its first loss of the season, winning 90-72 as 5.5-point home favorites. That has the Storm sitting first overall in the WNBA.

"Well, we've been good and obviously you want to be good," guard Tanisha Wright told reporters following the win over Atlanta. "But at the same time I don't think we've been our best, you know what I mean? Even tonight, we weren't our best."

Star forward Lauren Jackson was huge in the most recent win, scoring 32 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Jackson went 5-for-8 from beyond the arc as well, making her the toughest matchup in the league. She poured in 23 points and pulled down 10 boards in the season-opening win over the Sparks.

Pick: Seattle

Atlanta Dream at Washington Mystics (-2.5, 157)

The Mystics have left bettors in limbo the past two games, finishing with a push against the WNBA pointspreads in back-to-back outings. Washington knocked off the Connecticut Sun, 69-65, as a 4-point home favorite Sunday night.

The Mystics have a great chance to finally make some money for bettors when they host the Atlanta Dream Saturday.

The Dream, who lead the Eastern Conference with a 6-1 record, suffered their first loss of the season Tuesday and are coming off a tough home game with the Chicago Sky Friday night before making the trip to DC. That’s three games in five days, which is rare for the WNBA schedule.

Washington, which has been off all week, will also have starters Lindsey Harding and Katie Smith back for Saturday. Harding practiced this week after a hard fall in Sunday’s win. Smith missed that matchup with a sore back but is expected to return against the Dream.

Pick: Washington

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**Udog** · 06-05-2010, 08:12 AM

MLB
Dunkel

NY Yankees at Toronto
The Yankees look to bounce back from yesterday's loss and take advantage of a Toronto team that is 1-6 in Ricky Romero's last 7 starts as an underdog from +110 to +150. New York is the pick (-130) according to Dunkel, which has the Yankees favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-130). Here are all of today's picks..

SATURDAY, JUNE 5

Game 951-952: Florida at NY Mets (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Robertson) 15.507; NY Mets (Niese) 15.390
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-125); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+105); Over

Game 953-954: Milwaukee at St. Louis (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Narveson) 14.093; St. Louis (Ottavino) 17.025
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 3; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-155); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-155); Over

Game 955-956: Chicago Cubs at Houston (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Dempster) 15.298; Houston (Oswalt) 14.925
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Houston (-110); 7
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (-110); Over

Game 957-958: Cincinnati at Washington (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Leake) 14.064; Washington (Atilano) 15.339
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-130); 9
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+110); Under

Game 959-960: San Diego at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Garland) 14.007; Philadelphia (Moyer) 15.449
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-140); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-140); Under

Game 961-962: San Francisco at Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Wellemeyer) 14.322; Pittsburgh (Maholm) 15.118
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-110); 8
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-110); Under

Game 963-964: Colorado at Arizona (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Chacin) 14.447; Arizona (Willis) 15.078
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Colorado (-125); 10
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+105); Under

Game 965-966: Atlanta at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Hanson) 15.483; LA Dodgers (Billingsley) 16.843
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-115); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-115); Under

Game 967-968: NY Yankees at Toronto (1:07 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Pettitte) 15.891; Toronto (Romero) 15.702
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-130); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-130); Under

Game 969-970: LA Angels at Seattle (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Santana) 16.060; Seattle (Rowland-Smith) 16.772
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Seattle (-125); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-125); Under

Game 971-972: Cleveland at Chicago White Sox (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Talbot) 13.169; White Sox (Peavy) 14.862
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-165); 9
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-165); Over

Game 973-974: Boston at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Lester) 16.112; Baltimore (Guthrie) 13.726
Dunkel Line: Boston by 2 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-200); 8
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-200); Over

Game 975-976: Detroit at Kansas City (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Verlander) 15.608; Kansas City (Hochevar) 15.574
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-150); 9
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-150); Under

Game 977-978: Tampa Bay at Texas (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Shields) 16.465; Texas (Hunter) 15.711
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-130); 10
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-130); Under

Game 979-980: Minnesota at Oakland (9:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Liriano) 15.519; Oakland (Cahill) 16.690
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-125); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+105); Under

**Udog** · 06-05-2010, 08:34 AM

WNBA
Dunkel

New York at Indiana
The Liberty look to take advantage of an Indiana team that is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing with 1 day of rest. New York is the pick (+7) according to Dunkel, which has the Fever favored by only 2 1/2. Dunkel Pick: New York (+7). Here are all of today's picks.

SATURDAY, JUNE 5

Game 651-652: New York at Indiana (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New York 110.570; Indiana 113.105
Dunkel Line & Total: Indiana by 2 1/2; 148
Vegas Line & Total: Indiana by 7; 143 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New York (+7); Over

Game 653-654: Atlanta at Washington (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 110.981; Washington 115.365
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 4 1/2; 151
Vegas Line & Total: Washington by 1 1/2; 157
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-1 1/2); Under

Game 655-656: Tulsa at Chicago (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tulsa 110.392; Chicago 109.817
Dunkel Line & Total: Tulsa by 1; 152
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago by 6 1/2; 158 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tulsa (+6 1/2); Under

Game 657-658: Seattle at Los Angeles (11:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle 116.934; Los Angeles 109.521
Dunkel Line & Total: Seattle by 7 1/2; 155
Vegas Line & Total: Seattle by 3 1/2; 149
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-3 1/2); Over

**Udog** · 06-05-2010, 08:39 AM

Man, the stuff is really coming in slowly this morning!

**Udog** · 06-05-2010, 08:56 AM

MLB

Saturday, June 5

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Tips and Trends
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Los Angeles Angels at Seattle Mariners [FOX | 4:10 PM ET]

Angels: Los Angeles is back to .500 for the year after winning 7 of their last 10 games. The Angels are 28-28 overall this year, and only trail by 1.5 games in the competitive American League West division. The Angels can thank their offense for their recent win streak, as they've scored 5 runs or more in 7 of their last 9 games. Los Angeles won 2 of the 3 against the Mariners less than a week ago. Los Angeles is a respectable 12-15 on the road this year, and they will look to improve on that record in Seattle. The Angels are -0.36 and +2.64 units both SU and on the RL respectively this year. Righty Ervin Santana will look to continue his sharp form, as he's won his past 3 starts. For the year, Santana is 5-3 with an ERA of 3.43 and a WHIP of 1.24. The Angels are 6-1 in their last 7 games against a right-handed starter. Los Angeles is 4-0 in Santana's last 4 starts overall. The Angels are 5-1 in Santana's last 6 starts with 4 days of rest. Los Angeles is 29-13 in Santana's last 42 starts against the American League West.

Angels are 36-15 last 51 road games against a team with a losing record.
Under is 12-3 last 15 Saturday games.

Key Injuries - 1B Kendry Morales (leg) is out.

PROJECTED SCORE: 2

Mariners (-114, O/U 7.5): The biggest news coming out of Seattle is the retirement of Ken Griffey Jr. Seattle has dealt with adversity all season long, and that's a big reason why they are in last place in the American League West. The Mariners are 22-31 this year, the 4th worst mark in the American League. The glass is half full though, as Seattle has won their past 3 games thanks to dominating pitching. The Mariners have allowed 1 run in each of their past 3 games. P Doug Fister will look to keep the streak going, despite being winless in his last 3 starts. Fister is 3-3 this year, with an ERA of 2.45 and a WHIP of 0.96. The Mariners are 5-1 in their last 6 games against a right-handed starter. Seattle is 2-5 in Fister's last 7 starts against the American League West. The Mariners are 1-4 in Fister's last 5 home starts overall.

Mariners are 5-1 last 6 home games.
Over is 5-1 last 6 games against the American League West.

Key Injuries - C Josh Bard (leg) is out.

PROJECTED SCORE: 5 (Side of the Day)

Atlanta Braves at Los Angeles Dodgers [10:10 PM ET]

Braves: Is Atlanta ever going to lose again? That's the million dollar question going around baseball right now, as the Braves have won 9 consecutive games. The Braves have skyrocketed up the standings thanks to their current winning streak, and currently have a 3 game lead in the National League East. Atlanta is 32-22 this year, trailing only San Diego for the best record in the National League. Atlanta is +6.82 and -0.45 units SU and on the RL respectively this year. P Tommy Hanson is looking to keep up his great season, as the Braves have won 8 of his 10 starts this year. Hanson is 5-3 with an ERA of 3.78 and a WHIP of 1.26 this season. The Braves are 8-1 in their last 9 road games against a right-handed starter. Atlanta is 4-1 in Hanson's last 5 starts against a team with a winning record. The Braves are 5-1 in Hanson's last 6 road starts.

Braves are 6-0 last 6 against a team with a winning record.
Under is 4-1 last 5 road games against a team with a home winning percentage greater than .600%.

Key Injuries - 3B Chipper Jones (finger) is questionable.

PROJECTED SCORE: 2

Dodgers (-115, O/U 7.5): Los Angeles has won 4 of their last 5 games to stand 31-23 on the season. The Dodgers are struggling offensively a bit, as they've scored a total of 5 runs over their past 3 games. Tonight marks the 6th consecutive game that Los Angeles has been the listed favorite. Only 1 opponent has scored more than 4 runs against the Dodgers over their past 8 games. Los Angeles is +2.45 and -1.65 units respectively this year. Lefty Clayton Kershaw starts for the Dodgers tonight, as the Dodgers have won 7 of his 11 starts this year. Kershaw is 5-3 with an ERA of 2.95 and a WHIP of 1.33 this year. The Dodgers are 4-1 in their last 5 games against a right-handed starter. Los Angeles is 22-7 in their last 29 home games against a right-handed starter. The Dodgers are 5-0 in Billingsley's last 5 starts overall. The Dodgers are 2-6 in Billingsley's last 8 home starts against a team with a winning record.

Dodgers are 8-2 last 10 home games against a team with a losing road record.
Under is 6-0-1 last 7 during game 3 of a series.

Key Injuries - 3B Casey Blake (back) is questionable.

PROJECTED SCORE: 3 (UNDER - Total of the Day)

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**Udog** · 06-05-2010, 09:09 AM

WNBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, June 5

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NEW YORK (2 - 3) at INDIANA (3 - 3) - 6/5/2010, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 46-27 ATS (+16.3 Units) on Saturday games since 1997.
INDIANA is 16-29 ATS (-15.9 Units) after scoring 75 points or more over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 6-1 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 6-1 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ATLANTA (6 - 2) at WASHINGTON (4 - 3) - 6/5/2010, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) in May, June, or July games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 27-14 ATS (+11.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) in May, June, or July games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 182-227 ATS (-67.7 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 24-41 ATS (-21.1 Units) as a home favorite of 3 points or less since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 30-50 ATS (-25.0 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 113-147 ATS (-48.7 Units) vs. division opponents since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 3-3 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 5-2 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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TULSA (3 - 3) at CHICAGO (3 - 4) - 6/5/2010, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) off an upset win as an underdog since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 4-3 against the spread versus TULSA over the last 3 seasons
TULSA is 5-2 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SEATTLE (6 - 1) at LOS ANGELES (1 - 5) - 6/5/2010, 11:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 34-21 ATS (+10.9 Units) vs. division opponents 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 32-12 ATS (+18.8 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 10-4 against the spread versus SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 8-6 straight up against SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Announcement

Saturday's Trends and Indexes 6/5 (MLB, WNBA, Misc.)

Saturday's Trends and Indexes 6/5 (MLB, WNBA, Misc.)

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