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**Udog** · 04-10-2011, 08:07 AM

Daily Sports Roundup: April 10

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Heat host the Celtics in an NBA heavyweight clash, the Yankees take on the BoSox, and the NHL finishes up its regular-season slate.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The NBA has nine games on tap for Sunday, with Chicago at Orlando, New Jersey at Toronto, New Orleans at Memphis, Detroit at Charlotte, New York at Indiana, Phoenix at Dallas, Sacramento at Golden State, Oklahoma City at the Lakers, and Boston at Miami. The Celtics and Heat remain in a battle for second place in the Eastern Conference standings, with Boston winning the most recent meeting between the two clubs 85-82 as a 3-point home underdog in an UNDER result on February 13. Kevin Garnett tossed in a team-high 19 points for Boston in that win, while Rajon Rondo had a triple-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. LeBron James had 22 points that day for Miami.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

On the American League schedule for Sunday it's Kansas City at Detroit, Texas at Baltimore, Tampa Bay at the White Sox, Oakland at Minnesota, Toronto at the Angels, Cleveland at Seattle, and the Yankees at Boston. CC Sabathia (0-0, 1.38 ERA) gets the call for New York in the Sunday Night Baseball matchup; lefthander Sabathia has given up three runs (two earned) on eight hits over 13 innings in starts against the Twins and Tigers so far this year. Josh Beckett (0-1, 5.40 ERA) will counter for Boston; righthander Beckett surrendered three runs over five innings against the Indians in his season debut.

Over in the National League on Sunday it's then Washington at the Mets, Colorado at Pittsburgh, Florida at Houston, the Cubs at Milwaukee, the Dodgers at San Diego, St. Louis at San Francisco, Cincinnati at Arizona, and Philadelphia at Atlanta. Cole Hamels (0-1, 20.25 ERA) will be looking to bounce back in a start for the Phillies on Sunday; lefthander Hamels gave up six runs in just 2 2-3 innings of work in a loss to the Mets in his first start of the season. Derek Lowe (1-1, 0.77 ERA) will counter for the Braves; righthander Lowe has already turned in two strong outings this season, holding the Brewers and Nationals to a combined one run on eight hits over 11 2-3 innings of work.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

The NHL's regular season ends with five games Sunday: Edmonton at Colorado, Boston at New Jersey, Pittsburgh at Atlanta, Dallas at Minnesota, and Detroit at Chicago. The Blackhawks helped their playoff chances with a 4-2 win in Detroit in the first game of the home-and-home set on Friday night. Brent Seabrook, Brian Campbell, Marian Hossa, and Ben Smith had the goals for Chicago in that victory. Tomas Holmstrom and Drew Miller responded for Detroit.

Roaring around the track . . .

Finally, the drivers of Formula 1 take to the track in the Malaysia Grand Prix on Sunday. Sebastian Vettel won the circuit's season-opening race in Australia last time out, and he's the oddsmakers' choice at +120 to take the checkered flag in Malaysia on Sunday. Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton follow him on that odds list at +400, with Fernando Alonso at +500, Jenson Button at +1200, and Felipe Massa farther back at +3000 odds. Vettel got the win in Malaysia last season, with Webber ending up second at that event.

**Udog** · 04-10-2011, 08:10 AM

Sunday's betting tips: Will over trend continue in Yanks-Sox?

Weather Watch

Wind gusts forecast up to 18 mph will be blowing in from right field at Detroit’s Comerica Stadium today, as the Tigers host the Royals.

Wind also will play a factor at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park. A steady 17-mph breeze is forecast to be blowing in from right field as the Pirates face the Rockies.

Who’s Hot

NBA: Celtics are 25-10 ATS in the last 35 meetings with Miami, including a 16-5 ATS mark in the last 21 meetings in Miami.

MLB: The Over is 38-15-1 in the last 54 meetings between Yankees and Red Sox at Fenway Park.

NHL: Dallas is 21-6 in its last 27 games against Minnesota.

Who’s Not

NBA: The Thunder are 6-22 ATS in their last 28 Sunday games. They host the Lakers today.

MLB: The Phillies are batting a combined .185 against Braves’ starter Derek Lowe.

NHL: The Avalanche are 5-22 in their last 27 games playing on one day’s rest.

Interesting Stat

Rory McIlroy’s four-shot lead is the largest 54-hole lead at the Masters since Tiger Woods led by eight strokes in 1997.

Injuries/Suspension to Note
NBA: The Magic will be without center Dwight Howard and guard Quentin Richardson for today’s home game against the Celtics. Both are suspended, after Howard picked up his 18th technical foul and Richardson got in an altercation with Gerald Henderson in Wednesday’ game against Charlotte.

Betting Tips

Umpire Mike Winters is expected to be behind the plate for Sunday’s nightcap at Fenway between the Yankees and Red Sox. The Red Sox are 1-7 in their last eight games with Winters behind the plate.

In addition to NBA referee Rodney “the Under Machine” Mott (), bettors would be wise to keep an eye out for Pat Fraher, who is 39/26 over/under (60%) this year. Complete NBA referee over/under stats are here.

**Udog** · 04-10-2011, 08:13 AM

Sunday's six-pack

-- 1-7 Red Sox face CC Sabathia Sunday night; Boston's starting Ps have a 7.68 ERA so far this season, worst in the big leagues.

-- Cleveland Indians are 6-2 and lead the AL Central.

-- Eldrick Woods is now -41 in his career on the 13th hole at Augusta; guess CBS won't mention what an easy hole this is for pros to birdie.

-- Funny how CBS uses the same graphics for the Masters that they used 25-30 years ago. Thats an observation, not a criticism.

-- New York Rangers clinched a playoff spot when Carolina Hurricanes lost to Tampa Bay, which had nothing to play for.

-- Ty Lawson made 10 straight 3-pointers as Denver waxed Minnesota 130-106; Nuggets are 32-8 at home.

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

Sunday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Saturday........

13) Memo to TV directors of major league baseball games; on long flies to the outfield, we really need to see the outfielders; that tells me how good a chance the ball has of going out. If you just show the ball in the air, every fly ball looks like a 500-foot HR. Show the outfielders. Please.

12) FOX Saturday baseball games usually start at 4:00 Saturday; but this week, because Bronx-Boston games tend to run so long, and FOX had a NASCAR race on TV last night, the baseball game was a 1:00 first pitch. Makes it better for us with the Extra Innings package, because the games that were on at 4:00 could be shown.

11) Funny how Tim McCarver ripped Manny Ramirez yesterday, after he retired; it was probably justified criticism, but have the onions to do it while the guy is still active. Easy to rip a guy after he's gone.

10) No Australian has ever won The Masters, but they've had five 2nd place finishes, with Greg Norman getting three of those five.

9) Russell Martin is off to a big start with the Bombers; if this continues, it'll be hard to look at his career, look at the 2-year slump he went thru in 2009-2010 and not blame it on Joe Torre/Don Mattingly. Martin was an All-Star player before Torre/Mattingly took over the Dodgers.

8) Tampa Bay/Toronto are the only two artificial turf field left in major league baseball; at one time or another, 13 of the 30 teams had an artificial turf field. Andre Dawson was born 25 years too soon; playing on a hard outfield in Montreal all those years helped ruin his knees.

7) Interesting yet obscure stat: there is an NBA ref named Rodney Mott who has worked 68 NBA games this season: 44 unders, 24 overs. Don't even remember where I got this stat, or who would track it, since its not easy to find out whos reffing what game beforehand, if you wanted to use the information for gambling purposes. Maybe its just a random stat, but I'm guessing it indicates Mr Mott calls less fouls than most refs. .

6) Mark Gottfriend's staff at NC State will include former NC-Charlotte coach Bobby Lutz and former UL-Monroe coach Orlando Early, who was Lutz' top aide in Charlotte. Lutz had it going in Charlotte until they left Conference USA and went to the geographically far-flung Atlantic 14.

5) Larry Shyatt's staff at Wyoming includes his oldest son Jeremy, who has worked at VCU, East Carolina and North Florida. If Wyoming wins under Shyatt, expect him to retire in a few years and hand the reins over to his son, like Tom Davis did at Drake a few years back.

4) Tampa Bay Rays are 1-7; they scored 10 runs in the seven losses, nine runs in the one win. Going to be a long summer in the Trop.

3) Miguel Tejada hit a two-run double to right-center in bottom of the 9th inning Saturday, giving the Giants a 3-2, walk-off win against St Louis.

2) Don't envy golf's TV reporters who have to interview Eldrick Woods these days; what are they supposed to ask him? "Tiger, you used to be far and away the best golfer on earth, maybe ever. Now you're about as good as Woody Austin; your thoughts?"

1) Everything you need to know about the 2011 A's; they scored total of four runs in their last three games, but won two of the three, and they led the third game in the 8th inning. If I'm the hitting coach, I'm nervous for my job, because Oakland spent money on hitters this winter.

**Udog** · 04-10-2011, 08:17 AM

NBA
Dunkel

New Jersey at Toronto
The Raptors look to take advantage of a New Jersey team that is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games as an underdog from 5 to 10 1/2 points. Toronto is the pick (-5) according to Dunkel, which has the Raptors favored by 8 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-5). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, APRIL 10

Game 701-702: Chicago at Orlando (1:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 121.873; Orlando 119.480
Dunkel Line & Total: Orlando by 1 1/2; 181
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago by 4 1/2; 183 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Orlando (+4 1/2); Under

Game 703-704: Boston at Miami (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 118.403; Miami 124.963
Dunkel Line & Total: Miami by 10 1/2; 187
Vegas Line & Total: Miami by 6; 183
Dunkel Pick: Miami (-6); Over

Game 705-706: Detroit at Charlotte (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 114.280; Charlotte 113.146
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 1; 198
Vegas Line & Total: Charlotte by 2; 195
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+2); Over

Game 707-708: New Orleans at Memphis (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Orleans 120.703; Memphis 126.335
Dunkel Line & Total: Memphis by 5 1/2; 192
Vegas Line & Total: Memphis by 4; 185 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Memphis (-4); Over

Game 709-710: New Jersey at Toronto (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Jersey 106.631; Toronto 115.046
Dunkel Line & Total: Toronto by 8 1/2; 205
Vegas Line & Total: Toronto by 5; 207
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-5); Under

Game 711-712: New York at Indiana (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New York 119.266; Indiana 117.674
Dunkel Line & Total: New York by 1 1/2; 215
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 713-714: Phoenix at Dallas (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 114.487; Dallas 124.008
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 9 1/2; 208
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 715-716: Sacramento at Golden State (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Sacramento 118.865; Golden State 117.164
Dunkel Line & Total: Sacramento by 1 1/2; 220
Vegas Line & Total: Golden State by 6; 217 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Sacramento (+6); Over

Game 717-718: Oklahoma City at LA Lakers (9:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oklahoma City 124.816; LA Lakers 124.430
Dunkel Line & Total: Even; 186
Vegas Line & Total: LA Lakers by 5; 189 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (+5); Under

**Udog** · 04-10-2011, 08:37 AM

NBA

Sunday, April 10

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Trend Report
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1:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. ORLANDO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing Orlando
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Orlando is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 5 games when playing Chicago

3:30 PM
BOSTON vs. MIAMI
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games when playing on the road against Miami
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Miami
Miami is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Miami is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games

6:00 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. MEMPHIS
The total has gone OVER in 16 of New Orleans's last 21 games when playing Memphis
New Orleans is 17-5 SU in its last 22 games when playing Memphis
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Memphis's last 10 games when playing at home against New Orleans
Memphis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

6:00 PM
DETROIT vs. CHARLOTTE
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games when playing on the road against Charlotte
Detroit is 14-7 SU in its last 21 games when playing Charlotte
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Charlotte's last 7 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Charlotte's last 7 games when playing at home against Detroit

6:00 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. TORONTO
New Jersey is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of New Jersey's last 10 games on the road
Toronto is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against New Jersey
Toronto is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing New Jersey

7:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. INDIANA
New York is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
New York is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 7 games when playing New York
Indiana is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

7:30 PM
PHOENIX vs. DALLAS
Phoenix is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Dallas
Phoenix is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games at home
Dallas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Phoenix

9:00 PM
SACRAMENTO vs. GOLDEN STATE
Sacramento is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Sacramento is 4-7-1 ATS in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Golden State's last 16 games at home
Golden State is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home

9:30 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. LA LAKERS
Oklahoma City is 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
Oklahoma City is 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of the LA Lakers last 9 games when playing Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the LA Lakers last 7 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City

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**Udog** · 04-10-2011, 08:41 AM

NBA

Sunday, April 10

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Double dribble: NBA on ABC doubleheader preview
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Chicago Bulls (-2.5, 184) at Orlando Magic

The Bulls and Magic are squaring off in a preview of a potential second-round playoff series. Chicago has locked up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, while Orlando has clinched the No. 4 spot and will have home-court advantage against Atlanta in Round 1.

For now, the Bulls (59-20, 48-29-2 ATS) have all the momentum in this head-to-head series. They got blown out at home by the Magic, 107-78, on December 8, but that was before the team exploded into prominence. In the two ensuing meetings, Chicago handled Orlando, 99-90, as a 1.5-point home underdog on January 28 and cruised, 89-81, as a 2-point road underdog on March 4.

The Bulls have been abusing almost everyone on the glass, and Orlando is no exception. Chicago won the rebounding battle 54 to 40 in January (Carlos Boozer went for 16 points and 16 rebounds) and the margin was a ridiculous 50 to 30 in the March showdown.

Howard banned

The Magic (50-29, 32-46-1 ATS) will be without Dwight Howard and Quentin Richardson, both of whom are suspended stemming from incidents in Wednesday’s overtime win at Charlotte.

Howard picked up his 18th technical of the season for an automatic one-game suspension. Richardson shoved Gerald Henderson in the face to earn himself a two-game ban.

That’s not exactly what Orlando needs considering it is about to take on a Chicago juggernaut that has won six in a row (3-3 ATS), 10 of its last 11, and 18 of its last 20. And don’t think the Bulls will stop playing just because they have the No. 1 seed in the East. They are one-game behind San Antonio in the race for the NBA’s best record, which would determine home-court advantage in the finals if those two teams meet.

“We still have a ways to go,” head coach Tom Thibodeau told the Chicago Daily Herald. “We’re not done. We have to keep playing and keep improving. You want to put as many things going in your favor as possible.”

Trending topics

The Bulls are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 road games.

The Magic are 0-7 ATS in their last seven home games, 1-6 ATS in their last seven against the Eastern Conference, and 3-14 ATS in their last 17 overall.

The over is 5-1 in Chicago’s last six road contests.

Head-to-head, the under is 4-1 in the last five meetings between the two teams and 7-0 in the last seven when the Magic host.

Boston Celtics at Miami Heat (-5.5, 184)

As if the first game of the ABC doubleheader isn’t enough, fans will get another second-round Eastern Conference playoff preview in the form of Boston-Miami. The fourth regular-season meeting between the two squads could go a long way in determining which one would have home-court advantage in a potential postseason clash. They are currently tied for second in the East.

Miami (55-24, 37-41-1 ATS) almost certainly has to win this one if it wants the No. 2 seed, because Boston owns the tiebreaker. The Celtics have won all three of the previous encounters between the two teams - 88-80 at home in the season opener on October 26, 112-107 at home on November 11, and 85-82 in Miami on February 13.

Boston covered the spread all three times and Miami will have to do a better job defending Ray Allen, who led his team in scoring in each of the first two meetings (including 35 points in the second).

Boston massacred

Despite going 3-0 against Miami this season, the Celtics (55-24, 37-40-2 ATS) have not secured the No. 2 seed. That is in part because they got destroyed 97-81 at Chicago Thursday.

Head coach Doc Rivers was asked if he thought his team would get up for the Heat better than it did for the Bulls.

“We'll see,” he told the Worcester Telegram. “We should, yes. Logically, yes is the answer. Do I anticipate that? Yes.

“If we had done our job, (the No. 2 seed) would have been decided, and that's what bothers me. Now we put ourselves in this position, and you're going to get an extremely hungry team in Miami for a lot of reasons. We're going into a hornet's nest, and we're going to have to deal with it.”

Big Z

The Heat, meanwhile, have won four of their last five games (3-2 ATS) and nine of their last 11 (5-6 ATS).

Miami rebounded from a Wednesday loss to Milwaukee by taking care of the Bobcats 112-103 Friday. Zydrunas Ilgauskas played 18 minutes and scored 10 points on 5-for-7 shooting in the victory over Charlotte. Ilgauskas missed seven games with a foot injury in mid-March and had played more than 10 minutes only once in his previous six outings.

“It’s a different dynamic with him in the lineup and we are getting a lot more paint opportunities,” head coach Erik Spoelstra told the Miami Herald.

Ilgauskas should see plenty of playing time Sunday against a Celtics squad that will be without Shaquille O’Neal (calf). Fellow Boston big man Jermaine O’Neal (knee) is probable, but he likely won’t be 100 percent after missing Friday’s win over Washington.

Trending topics

The Celtics are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games.

The Heat are 1-5 ATS in their last six home games.

The under is 9-2 in Boston’s last 11 road contests and 14-3 in its last 17 overall.

Head-to-head, the home team is 4-1 ATS in the last five encounters between the two teams and the over is 4-0 in the last four in Miami. Boston is 16-5 ATS in its last 21 trips to South Beach.

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**Udog** · 04-10-2011, 08:43 AM

NBA

Sunday, April 10

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Pick 'n' roll: Sunday's best NBA bets
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Phoenix Suns at Dallas Mavericks

Both teams are stumbling to the end of the regular season, but whereas the Mavericks are still coasting into the playoffs, the Suns are wallowing into the offseason.

Phoenix has dropped three of its last four games (2-2 ATS) and seven of its last nine (3-6 ATS). Furthermore, Mickael Pietrus has been out since March 23 due to a quadriceps, injury and there is no reason for him to come back with his team out of the race. Steve Nash, meanwhile, is questionable with a hamstring problem.

It will be trouble if the Suns are without their leader in Nash, who is currently on track for the NBA assists title at 11.4 per game, 0.1 ahead of Boston's Rajon Rondo. But Nash does not care about that right now and the general Phoenix mood is one of melancholy.

“Maybe when I'm done, but right now, not making the playoffs makes everything feel like it doesn't matter anymore,” Nash told AzCentral.com. “We went through so much change, and Rondo was racking up the assists at the start of the year. It's weird to be in this position, but it feels awfully irrelevant and hollow.”

Hollow is exactly how the Suns have come up against Dallas this season, too. The Mavericks have won all three meetings and covered the spread all three times—including in a 91-83 road win on March 27.

Pick: Mavericks

Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers (-5, 189.5)

The Spurs ran away with the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference, but No. 2 is still up for grabs and both Oklahoma City and Los Angeles are in contention along with Dallas.

It's a borderline shock that the Lakers have not wrapped up second place, and they probably feel like they should still have a shot at home-court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs. Instead, L.A. has lost four in a row and will have to beat the Thunder in order to avoid a five-game losing streak for the first time in four years.

“It's a product of not paying attention, not being focused and not playing the game with the right attitude,” coach Phil Jackson told reporters. “As a result, we end up with some losses.”

The Lakers have not been able to throw the ball in the ocean from three-point range of late, and they have committed a ridiculous 73 turnovers over their last four games.

If there is some good news for the Lakers, though, it's that they are 3-0 against the Thunder this season and 3-0 ATS.

Pick: Lakers

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**Udog** · 04-10-2011, 08:46 AM

NHL

Sunday, April 10

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Trend Report
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12:30 PM
DETROIT vs. CHICAGO
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
Chicago is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Detroit

3:00 PM
BOSTON vs. NEW JERSEY
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boston's last 9 games when playing New Jersey
Boston is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
New Jersey is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
New Jersey is 15-4 SU in its last 19 games at home

3:00 PM
EDMONTON vs. COLORADO
Edmonton is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Edmonton's last 6 games when playing on the road against Colorado
Colorado is 1-12 SU in its last 13 games at home
Colorado is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games

3:00 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games
Pittsburgh is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games
Atlanta is 1-11 SU in its last 12 games when playing Pittsburgh

6:00 PM
DALLAS vs. MINNESOTA
Dallas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Dallas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Minnesota's last 11 games when playing at home against Dallas
Minnesota is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Dallas

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**Udog** · 04-10-2011, 08:48 AM

NHL

Sunday, April 10

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NHL on NBC betting preview: Blackhawks at Red Wings
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Chicago Blackhawks (193, 5.5) at Detroit Red Wings

Two Original Six rivals battle for the second time in less than 48 hours with playoff implications and positioning abound in the final game of the season.

The game means more to Chicago, but Detroit would love to complicate matters for the defending champions, who just need a single point to secure the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.

Over for Osgood

His role would have been limited anyway, but you can forget about goalie Chris Osgood Sunday and in the postseason.

Osgood and all of his Stanley Cup experience will be on the shelf for as long as the Red Wings are alive. The veteran has not been able to recover from sports hernia surgery on January 4.

But Joey MacDonald will be ready, if needed. He’s been solid, sporting a 5-5-3 record with a 2.58 GAA and one shutout, but he’s no Osgood, who has three championships on his resume.

A lot will fall on starter Jimmy Howard, who made 25 saves versus Chicago Friday.

Consistent Corey

No matter what happens to the Blackhawks, it'll be hard to blame anything on the goaltending.

While Corey Crawford hasn't quite been what Antti Niemi was last season for the Stanley Cup champions, he's been consistent and has given the Blackhawks a chance to win on most nights. His GAA has been below 2.40 most of the year and he has four shutouts.

What's more important, is the fact that he proved to be durable. While he probably wasn't expecting 50-plus starts back in September, he hasn’t shown much wear and tear as a result. On Friday, in the 4-2 win over Detroit, he made 26 saves.

Motor City motorin'

Another 100-point season, another high seed in the Western Conference, another shot to win a Stanley Cup. The Red Wings, the conference's models of consistency for nearly two decades, just keep on rolling as they head into this season finale.

This year, while there's been quality scoring balance for the most part, there are four Red Wings, who have had little dropoff from game to game. Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen, and Danny Cleary all passed the 20-goal mark this season, and will certainly be relied upon this week, when the playoffs begin. Zetterberg, in fact, will sit this finale out to rest a lower-body injury sustained last week.

But Detroit’s greatness doesn’t stop with those four. There are also eight more teammates with at least 11 goals. And that's what has allowed the Red Wings to not miss Mike Modano's production so much. Modano, a classic end-of-the-career Detroit offseason signing, missed almost three full months with a wrist injury.

Trends

- Under is 5-1 in the last six meetings.
- Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings in Chicago.
- Road team is 8-1 in the last nine meetings.
- Red Wings are 0-4 in the last four meetings.

History

There aren’t many teams that the Blackhawks have had their way with this year, but the Red Wings are one of them. After the convincing 4-2 win Friday night, Chicago is now 4-1 versus Detroit, and the under, not surprisingly in this tight-checking, defensive-minded rivalry, is also 4-1.

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**Udog** · 04-10-2011, 08:50 AM

NHL

Sunday, April 10

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Ice Picks: Sunday's best NHL picks
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Detroit Red Wings at Chicago Blackhawks (-193, 5.5)

Why is Chicago a -193 favorite against Detroit on Sunday? Well, quite frankly, all signs point to a Blackhawks' victory.

While Detroit has already locked up a playoff spot and home-ice advantage in the first round, Chicago still has a chance of missing out on defending its Stanley Cup. The Blackhawks need just one point to wrap up a postseason berth, but they will need some held if the Red Wings win in regulation.

As such, you can expect Chicago to play with the same kind of energy that was on display in Friday's 4-2 win at Detroit.

“It was an important game, and you could sense there was a different type of approach going into the game,” head coach Joel Quenneville told the Chicago Daily Herald. “It just seemed the urgency was in the guys' faces, and the first shift exemplified that and we took off from there.”

Furthermore, the Blackhawks are dominating this season's head-to-head series 4-1. The Red Wings took a 3-2 decision back in October, but they have lost four in a row to Chicago.

Pick: Blackhawks

Pittsburgh Penguins at Atlanta Thrashers

Both the Penguins and the Thrashers know where they are headed after Sunday's season finale at Philips Arena. Pittsburgh is going home to the Consol Energy Center for home-ice advantage, while Atlanta is going home—period.

The Penguins, though, are tied for second in the Eastern Conference at 104 points with Philadelphia. They want one more win to give themselves a chance of snagging the No. 2 seed and having home ice at least through the conference semifinals.

“Every game is big,” center Jordan Staal told Fox News. Staal and the rest of the Penguins are concerned more with momentum than seed number, although they know both are important. “Definitely, at this time of the year, every two points can change a lot in the standings. You want to win every game and get the ball rolling coming into the playoffs.”

Pittsburgh should have a good chance of wrapping up the regular season in fine form as it is going up against a team it has swept up to this point. The Penguins have earned 4-2, 3-2, and 6-3 victories over the Thrashers.

Picks: Penguins

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**Udog** · 04-10-2011, 08:54 AM

MLB

Sunday, April 10

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Trend Report
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1:05 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. DETROIT
Kansas City is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Kansas City's last 7 games on the road
Detroit is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games
Detroit is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

1:10 PM
WASHINGTON vs. NY METS
Washington is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing NY Mets
Washington is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Mets's last 7 games when playing at home against Washington
NY Mets are 4-8 SU in its last 12 games at home

1:35 PM
COLORADO vs. PITTSBURGH
Colorado is 6-15 SU in its last 21 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Pittsburgh's last 12 games
Pittsburgh is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Colorado

1:35 PM
TEXAS vs. BALTIMORE
Texas is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games on the road
Texas is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing Baltimore
Baltimore is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Baltimore's last 10 games when playing at home against Texas

1:35 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. ATLANTA
Philadelphia is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Philadelphia's last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

2:05 PM
FLORIDA vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Florida's last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Florida's last 10 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston's last 8 games

2:10 PM
CHI CUBS vs. MILWAUKEE
Chi Cubs are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
Chi Cubs are 10-5 SU in their last 15 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
Milwaukee is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

2:10 PM
OAKLAND vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oakland's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oakland's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Minnesota's last 10 games when playing at home against Oakland
Minnesota is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Oakland

2:10 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. CHI WHITE SOX
The total has gone UNDER in 18 of Tampa Bay's last 21 games
Tampa Bay is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Chi White Sox's last 12 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
Chi White Sox are 14-5 SU in their last 19 games

3:35 PM
TORONTO vs. LA ANGELS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games on the road
Toronto is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of LA Angels's last 10 games at home
LA Angels are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games at home

4:05 PM
LA DODGERS vs. SAN DIEGO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games when playing on the road against San Diego
LA Dodgers are 10-4 SU in their last 14 games
San Diego is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Diego's last 5 games

4:05 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. SAN FRANCISCO
St. Louis is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games on the road
St. Louis is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
San Francisco is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco's last 6 games

4:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. SEATTLE
Cleveland is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Cleveland's last 11 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Seattle is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Cleveland

4:10 PM
CINCINNATI vs. ARIZONA
Cincinnati is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games when playing Arizona
Cincinnati is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona's last 6 games when playing at home against Cincinnati
Arizona is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games at home

8:05 PM
NY YANKEES vs. BOSTON
The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 6 of NY Yankees's last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games when playing NY Yankees
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games when playing at home against NY Yankees

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**Udog** · 04-10-2011, 08:56 AM

MLB

Sunday, April 10

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Sunday Night Baseball: Yankees at Red Sox
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The overheated rivalry that is Yankees-Red Sox gets the prime-time, Sunday night spotlight on ESPN as New York and Boston wrap up their first series of the season tonight at Fenway Park. Let’s take a look at how these AL East teams match up:

EVEN-STEVEN

Last year, these archrivals played the standard 18 games, and each squad came away with nine wins. Home field wasn’t particularly helpful to either side, as the Sox and Yanks both went 4-5 on friendly turf in 2010.

The first two meetings of the 2011 season have been more of the same, with Boston winning the opener 9-6 on Friday night – for its first win of the season after an 0-6 start – and New York bouncing back Saturday for a 9-4 victory.

That said, Boston is 6-3 in the last nine meetings overall, winning three in a row at Fenway before Saturday’s setback.

PITCHERS LESS THAN PERFECT

New York sends out ace left-hander CC Sabathia tonight, while Boston counters with righty Josh Beckett. Neither has particularly strong career numbers in this rivalry.

Beckett is 10-7 lifetime in 22 starts against the Pinstripes, with a 6.26 ERA. He made five starts against New York last year and didn’t fare well, going 1-2 with a bloated 10.04 ERA. At Fenway Park, Beckett was opposite Sabathia last April 4 in a 9-7 Sox win, allowing five runs in 4 2/3 innings. A month later at home, he got blistered by New York, yielding nine runs – all earned – in 5 1/3 innings of a 10-3 beatdown.

Sabathia, meanwhile, is a middling 6-5 in 15 career starts against the BoSox, though with a much more respectable ERA of 3.45 in those games. In 2010, he made four starts against Boston, going 1-0 with a trio of no decisions and a 3.96 ERA, averaging just over six innings per game.

Fenway Park, however, was a bit rough for the hefty lefty. In two starts there last year, Sabathia was 0-0 with an inflated 7.20 ERA, mostly due to the aforementioned 9-7 loss last April, in which he allowed six runs (five earned) in 5 1/3 innings. A month later in Boston, he allowed three runs in 4 2/3 innings, but the Yanks put up 11 runs over the final five frames of a 14-3 rout.

PITCHING .750

On a more positive note for Sabathia, the Yankees are 42-14 in his last 56 starts overall and 21-7 in his last 28 stints against losing teams. And yes, despite their status as an AL favorite, the Sox are a losing team at this point.

RUNNING UP THE SCORE

One of the more sure things in this rivalry of late: Lots of runs on the scoreboard. The over has been the play in seven of the last eight clashes overall, including the last five in a row. And in the last 54 Yankees-Sox contests in Boston, the over is a robust 39-15-1.

Some more overkill: With Beckett taking the ball, the over is on streaks of 5-0-1 against the Yanks, 4-1 at home against New York and 8-2-1 against winning teams. The over is also on surges for Boston of 9-3 overall and 5-0 at Fenway. And for New York, the over is on sprees of 19-7-1 overall, 6-0 in division play, 8-2-1 on the highway and 5-0 behind Sabathia.

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**Udog** · 04-10-2011, 08:58 AM

MLB

Sunday, April 10

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Hot lines: Sunday's best MLB bets
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New York Yankees (-115, 9.5) at Boston Red Sox

It’s not usually time to panic eight games into a season, but, wow, things are going pretty bad in Boston right now. The Red Sox, picked by many to win the World Series, are 1-7 after getting hammered by the Yankees 9-4 on Saturday.

Sunday’s pitching matchup seems to favor New York.

C.C. Sabathia has not picked up a decision yet in 2011, but he has pitched 13 innings in two starts and boasts a 1.38 ERA. In his most recent outing against Minnesota on Tuesday, he went seven innings and allowed only two hits while striking out six. For Boston, Josh Beckett is making his second start after yielding five hits and three runs in five innings of work in a Tuesday loss at Cleveland.

The Yankees, meanwhile, are 5-3 and have homered in seven of their eight games—including at least two bombs in six of those contests.

Pick: Yankees

Texas Rangers (-130, 9.5) at Baltimore Orioles

The Rangers and Orioles are coming off a doubleheader on Saturday after Friday’s game was postponed due to rain. Heading into Saturday, the Rangers still were a perfect 6-0.

“We need to make sure we bring the same type of intensity and energy that we've had,” Ranger infielder Ian Kinsler told the Dallas Star-Telegram of going on the road for the first time this year. “You just need to recognize it and understand the way we've been playing.”

Baltimore’s pitching situation became clearer on Saturday when Brad Bergeson was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk and Chris Jakubauskas was added to the 40-man roster. Jakubauskas, 32, will make his debut with the Orioles on Sunday after playing for Pittsburgh last season. He appeared in one game and allowed two runs in two-thirds of an inning.

Texas, the defending American League champion, will counter with lefty Derek Holland, whose 2011 debut came Monday against Seattle. Holland went six innings and allowed three runs on seven hits while mowing down five batters.

Pick: Rangers

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**Udog** · 04-10-2011, 09:02 AM

MLB
Write-Up

Sunday, April 10

Hot pitchers
-- Lowe has a 0.77 RA in his first two '11 starts. Hamels has a 1.13 RA in his last six road starts.
-- Young is 3-0, 1.07 in his last five starts. Marquis has a 2.45 RA in his last three starts.
-- Chacin is 5-2, 2.37 in his last nine starts. McDonald is 2-1, 2.08 in his last six starts.
-- Gallardo is 1-0, 1.20 in his first two '11 starts. Coleman is 3-1, 2.42 in his last four starts.
-- Harang was on winning side in eight of his last nine home starts.
-- Saunders has a 2.77 RA in his last four starts.

-- Guthrie is 5-1, 2.40 in his last seven starts.
-- Weaver is 2-0, 0.69 in two starts this season.
-- Tomlin is 4-0, 3.25 in his last four starts.
-- Sabathia is 1-0, 2.08 in two starts this season.

Cold pitchers
-- Sanchez is 1-3, 5.02 in his last five starts. Happ is 0-3, 7.31 in his last six starts.
-- Ely is 0-5, 11.37 in his last six starts.
-- Lohse is 0-2, 5.48 in his last four starts. Zito is 0-2, 7.43 in his last three starts.
-- Leake is 0-2, 8.47 in his last three road starts.

-- Porcello is 1-2, 7.94 in his last four starts. Hochevar is 0-1, 7.71 in his two starts this season.
-- Reyes allowed five runs in 3.1 IP in his first start for Toronto.
-- Holland is 2-3, 5.51 in his last seven starts.
-- Niemann is 1-6, 8.58 in his last eight starts. Floyd is 0-2, 7.85 in his last four starts.
-- Baker is 1-1, 4.82 in his last four starts. McCarthy allowed five runs in eight IP in his first start for Oakland.
-- Bedard allowed five runs in five IP in his first start since 2009.
-- Beckett is 2-4, 5.11 in his last seven starts.

Totals
-- Over is 5-1-1 in Mets' last seven games.
-- Five of last seven Florida games went over the total.
-- Four of last six Colorado games stayed under total.
-- Under is 9-2 in Hamels' last eleven road starts.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in last five Coleman starts.
-- Four of last six Cincinnati games went over total.
-- Five of last six Ely starts went over the total.
-- Five of last six St Louis games stayed under the total.

-- Four of last six Kansas City games went over the total.
-- Six of last seven Minnesota games stayed under total.
-- Seven of last nine Guthrie starts went over the total.
-- Over is 6-1-1 in last eight Sabathia starts.
-- Six of eight Tampa Bay games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last seven Toronto games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 9-4 in last thirteen Tomlin starts.

Hot teams
-- Rockies won five of their last six games.
-- Phillies won six of their first eight games.
-- Pirates are 3-0 this season in game following a loss.
-- Marlins won four of their last five games.
-- Brewers won four of their last five games. Cubs are 3-0 this season in game following a loss.
-- Giants won their last three games, scoring 16 runs.
-- Cincinnati won six of its first eight games.

-- Royals won five of their last seven games. Detroit is 3-1 in game following a loss this season.
-- Rangers won seven of their first eight games. Orioles won six of their first eight games.
-- Minnesota is 3-1 in game following a loss this season.
-- White Sox won three of their last four games.
-- Angels won three of their last four games.
-- Indians won their last six games, allowing ten runs.

Cold teams
-- Mets lost three of their last four games. Nationals lost four of their last six.
-- Atlanta lost four of its last five games.
-- Cardinals lost six of their first eight games.
-- Astros lost seven of their first eight games.
-- Padres lost four of their last five games.
-- Arizona lost four of its last six games.

-- Red Sox lost seven of their first eight games. Bronx is 1-3 in game following a win this season.
-- Oakland is 0-5 when it allows more than one run.
-- Tampa Bay lost seven of its first eight games.
-- Mariners lost their last six games, allowing 37 runs.

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