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**Udog** · 04-11-2011, 08:05 AM

Daily Sports Roundup: April 11

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Rays start a set in Boston against the Red Sox, the Rockies take the diamond against the Mets, and the Hawks play host to the Heat.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The NBA offers up 11 games on Monday, with Orlando at Philadelphia, Charlotte at New Jersey, Boston at Washington, Cleveland at Detroit, Utah at New Orleans, Toronto at Milwaukee, Dallas at Houston, Golden State at Denver, Minnesota at Phoenix, Oklahoma City at Sacramento, and Miami at Atlanta. The Heat and Hawks last met on March 18 in Atlanta, with Miami cruising to a 106-85 road win as a 6-point favorite in that OVER result. LeBron James poured in 43 points for the Heat in that easy win, while Chris Bosh picked up 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Dwyane Wade added 14 points. Marvin Williams had a team-high 15 points off the bench for the Hawks in that day's loss.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The American League schedule for Monday has Texas at Detroit, Oakland at the White Sox, Cleveland at the Angels, Toronto at Seattle, and Tampa Bay at Boston. The Rays will send Jeremy Hellickson (0-1, 4.76 ERA) to the mound in that last contest; righthander Hellickson was beaten by the Angels in his first start of the season, allowing three runs on six hits over his 5 2-3 innings of work. The Red Sox will counter with Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-1, 5.40 ERA); righthander Matsuzaka also took a loss in his first start of the year, surrendering three runs on six hits over five innings against the Indians.

Over in the National League on Monday it's then the Cubs at Houston, St. Louis at Arizona, Cincinnati at San Diego, the Dodgers at San Francisco, and Colorado at the Mets. Jason Hammel (1-0, 7.20 ERA) will get the ball for the Rockies on Monday night; righthander Hammel picked up a win his first start of the season against the Dodgers despite giving up four runs on six hits in just five innings of work. The Mets will go with Mike Pelfrey (0-1, 15.63 ERA); righthander Pelfrey has been blasted in both his starts so far this year, allowing 11 earned runs over 6 1-3 innings against the Phillies and Marlins.

**Udog** · 04-11-2011, 08:06 AM

Monday's betting tips: Mets bettors cashing in on unders

Weather to watch

Texas Rangers at Detroit Tigers – 30 percent chance of rain with winds blowing in from right-center field to third base at 23 mph.

Who’s hot

NBA: Miami has covered in five of its last six meetings with Atlanta.

NBA: Utah is 12-3-1 in its last 16 games against New Orleans.

NBA: The under has cashed in on 16 of Denver’s last 22 games overall.

MLB: Texas Rangers are 8-1 heading into Monday’s date with the Tigers, matching the best start in franchise history.

MLB: Cleveland has won seven games in a row.

Who’s not

NBA: Minnesota has lost its last 13 games straight up, covering only five times over that span.

MLB: Houston is 2-7 to start the season.

MLB: Tampa Bay is 1-8 this year

Key stat

Zero – The New York Mets have yet to play under a posted total this season with an over record of 8-0-1 to start the season following Sunday’s 7-3 win over the Washington Nationals. The Mets host the Rockies for a four-game set beginning Monday.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

J.J. Hardy, Baltimore Orioles: Hardy is scheduled to undergo an MRI on his left oblique on Monday and it is thought that Baltimore’s shortstop could be out for a while. The O’s figure to go with Robert Andino and Cesar Izturis to fill the void, but’s a big loss for the club after bringing Hardy in during the offseason.

Game of the day

Miami Heat at Atlanta Hawks

Notable quotable

“Frustration is high right now on our team. It’s like Tiger’s swing, it’s coming.” – Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers following Sunday’s blowout loss to the Miami Heat. The Celtics pay a visit to the Washington Wizards on Monday.

Notes and tips

The Chicago White Sox aren’t completely booting Matt Thornton from the closer role, but he’s lost his stranglehold on the position. Manager Ozzie Guillen has defended Thornton in the past but said over the weekend that he’s going to use a number of players to take care of the ninth inning, adding that Thornton will be a part of that committee. Jesse Crain, Chris Sale, Sergio Santos, and Thornton will see some chances. Chicago is up against Oakland on Monday.

SI.com reports that Josh Smith is causing some major issues in the Atlanta Hawks locker room. Reporters Sam Amick wrote that Smith has been a “season-long disruption” and is guilty of “undermining (coach Larry Drew’s position with his other players in the process.” Atlanta faces Miami on Monday.

**Udog** · 04-11-2011, 08:08 AM

Monday's six-pack

States that produced the most Division I college hockey players who played this season
6) Pennsylvania, 56

5) Illinois, 62

4) New York, 100

3) Massachusetts, 115

2) Michigan, 131

1) Minnesota, 182
Most surprisingly, California is 7th on this list, with 50.

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

Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend........

13) If you bet on over/under win totals for the baseball season, you know the Rays' number this year is 87; they're 1-8 after three series and they're limping into Fenway tomorrow for a series with the 2-7 Red Sox. Rays are batting .163 as a team. Yikes.

12) Sunday night was the 634th consecutive sellout at Fenway.

11) So the Red Sox are paying Carl Crawford sick money and they've got him batting leadoff, where he doesn't feel comfortable? This is smart? CC is hitting a crisp .132 after nine games. Just terrific.

10) Quite a golf tournament Sunday; at one point late in the day, there were nine guys within two shots of the lead. I run a golf pool on this site with 25 people picking three guys a week- of the top eight finishers this week, no one picked five of the eight.

9) LSU QB Jordan Jefferson was just 4-14 in the Tigers' spring game, so the naysayers want Georgia transfer Zach Mettenberger to be the Tigers' #1 QB entering summer camp. LesMiles is too smart for that, but there will be a QB controversy if Jefferson gets off to a slow start in the fall.

8) 27 of the 38 college basketball job openings have been filled, now that UNLV hired Dave Rice and Manhattan tabbed Louisville assistant Steve Masiello. Rice was a scrub on UNLV's 1990 title team and has been an assistant for the Rebels, Utah State and BYU since then. Miami is the #1 job still open; apparently the Hurricanes are after UAB's Mike Davis.

7) Jose Reyes has reached base in his first AB in Mets' last seven games.

6) Pirates get Monday off, the last MLB team to get their first day off.

5) Wild game in Anaheim late Saturday night, with Angels running bases like the Three Stooges, but winning anyway, thanks to a horrible call by umpire Bob Davidson, who called a runner out for interference on a play where the go-ahead run scored for Toronto, but was nullified by the poor call. It was a fascinating game, just not very well-played by either side.

4) Vancouver Canucks won the President's Trophy this season for having NHL's best regular season record; their reward? They're playing defending champion Blackhawks in the first round of the playoffs. Not easy.

3) Boston Bruins' goalie Tim Thomas finished with NHL's best save % since the league started keeping track of that stat 28 years ago. Problem for the B's is that there's a lot of optimism for them in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but their first round opponent is Montreal, who through the years has been a pain in butt for Boston, especially when an underdog.

2) Just so you know there are still stupid people roaming the earth, there is a TV commercial on air where people are selling two $2 bills for a mere $10. The scam is that the bills are supposedly commemorating 10-year anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. What a country.

1) Did my tax return watching the Toronto-Angel game Saturday night; it annoys me that me a corporation like General Electric can make a profit of $5B but not pay taxes. I don't mind paying my taxes, its part of the price for living in a great country, but the rich folk should be paying too.

**Udog** · 04-11-2011, 08:09 AM

How to bet the NHL Playoffs: Handicapper's hockey tips

The NHL Playoffs are here. That means it’s time to get cozy in front of your favorite big screen and settle in for two months of sheer excitement.

There’s nothing like the NHL postseason, not only for hardcore puckheads, but also for savvy bettors. This is one of the best times of the year to make money on the ice.

As is the case in every professional sport, betting the playoffs is a completely different animal compared to the regular season. There are unique edges we can put in play from the opening round all the way to the Stanley Cup final.

Here are four pointers to help make your playoff journey a profitable one.

Stay away from big favorites

It’s not uncommon to see teams priced north of -200, especially in the first round.

In fact, on the opening night of last year’s playoffs, bettors were served two favorites north of -210. Both lost, as the Senators upset the Penguins and the Avalanche stole one from the Sharks.

Favorites of -200 or higher ended up going a miserable 7-8 in the first round of the 2010 playoffs, losing their backers a considerable chunk of change.

There’s a time and place for everything when it comes to sports betting, but it’s rarely a wise decision to get behind these big favorites. There just isn’t much separating a No. 8 seed from a No. 1 seed in the NHL – certainly not when compared to that same matchup in the NBA playoffs, for instance.

If you must play them, consider doing so in parlays to reduce your juice.

Home ice disadvantage?

Home-ice advantage is obviously coveted. It’s what teams play for over the course of the 82-game regular season.

With that being said, it shouldn’t be the No. 1 factor you consider when handicapping the playoffs. Perhaps in no other sport do we see teams come together and play as well on the road in the postseason as we do in hockey.

Hockey players are a different breed. They thrive on the camaraderie built on the road and many teams are actually more comfortable starting a series in enemy territory. The “us against the world” mentality can be a driving force from a motivational standpoint.

Home ice becomes more important as a series progresses. In the first four games, it’s not uncommon to see teams split in each venue. In Games 5 through 7, that’s when you want to put a little more stock in which team has the luxury of playing in front of the home crowd.

Ride the hot goalie

Time and time again, we’ve seen teams that underachieved during the regular season, ride a hot goalie deep into the playoffs.

Last year, the Montreal Canadiens pulled monumental upsets over the Capitals and Penguins with Jaroslav Halak. Two years ago, the Carolina Hurricanes went to the Eastern Conference final thanks to Cam Ward’s heroics.

It’s not an irregular occurrence. Virtually every year, at least one team will go further than anyone expected riding a hot goalie.

While capping the goaltending matchups is key during the regular season, it becomes that much more important at this time of year. Consider looking to the net first, and then work your way out when breaking down a series.

The majority doesn't always win

The betting public doesn’t have a substantial effect on hockey lines – that is until the playoffs roll around.

With the handle increasing at sportsbooks at this time of year, we start to see inflated lines on the ice. You can often find additional value backing an underdog if you wait until just before the puck drops.

A perfect example came in Game 1 of last year’s opening round series between the Red Wings and Coyotes.

Phoenix opened as a home favorite, but the money flooded in on the Red Wings, shifting the line 15-20 cents. The Coyotes closed as +110 home underdogs and went on to win the game, but ultimately succumbed to the veteran Red Wings in the series.

As is always the case, having multiple books at your disposal is key to getting the best lines.

**Udog** · 04-11-2011, 08:09 AM

NHL Eastern Conference playoff preview: Betting cheat sheet

Best sleeper pick to win the East: Boston Bruins

OK, so you may not buy the fact that a division winner could classify as a sleeper, but hear us out. Of the East Elite -- the Capitals, Flyers, Penguins, Lightning among them -- no one is more nondescript with fewer name players than the Bruins. And to add to their under-the-radar status is the fact that they blew a 3-0 series lead to the Flyers last season in the second round.

Sure, Tim Thomas has been superb this season in net, but let’s face it: How many pundits are picking this group to win the East? Not many.

Well, we will. No team may have more depth, better goaltending and enough incentive to wash away the past with a lengthy postseason run than the Bruins. So, while everyone else falls in love with the superstar teams, do yourself a favor, and consider the supremely solid one from Beantown.

Best player to pick for your playoff hockey pool: Danny Briere, Philadelphia Flyers

Briere was hampered by an infamous, anonymous “lower-body” injury toward the end of the regular season, but that might just be a way of getting a little more rest before the postseason marathon begins. Because if he’s healthy -- and we think he is -- Briere can be a playoff machine.

Last season, in 23 postseason games, Briere had 12 goals and 18 assists as the Flyers advanced to Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Plus, he’s coming off a regular season in which he topped 30 goals and 30 assists.

The Flyers haven’t been the same lately, but they are a bunch of true-tested, playoff veterans. And once the light goes on -- and it might this week -- another quality stretch might be in store on Broad Street. If that happens, Briere will play a big role.

Goalie who could steal a series: Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins

They are injured, they are short-handed and they have seen better days. But the Penguins are still to be feared in this conference, and the one that usually gets lost in the mix is their goaltender.

Keep in mind, without Martin Brodeur in the playoffs for a change, Fleury is the only bona fide East starter who has played in two Stanley Cup Finals. Not many people remember that.

Remember, Fleury is an unreal 8-2 in his last 10 playoff series. If that’s not a goalie who can swipe a series, we don’t know who is.

Highest seed that can get bounced in Round 1: Washington Capitals

There are plenty who say that this is finally the year. This is finally the spring that the Capitals are sprung. But what if they’re wrong? What if there is just a postseason panacea that keeps this franchise frustrated moving forward?

We think there might be. We think that Alexander Ovechkin and Co. simply get out-toughed at this time of year. Who knows, maybe we’ll be wrong in the end. But for now, you have to look at the body of work. And when you haven’t escaped the second round in the Ovechkin Era, there’s a good chance that there’s something to that.

Likely series with the most overs: Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins

Thomas and Carey Price may disagree, but there’s a method to our madness here. Those two goaltenders will be pivotal to this series, but let’s face it: Each team knows just about everything about the other, and with goal scorers on both sides, this may be a little more high-flying than it appears.

Especially when you consider this: If you bet the over in every game of this regular-season series, you would have went a surprising 3-1-1. Food for thought.

**Udog** · 04-11-2011, 08:10 AM

NHL Western Conference playoff betting cheat sheet

The Western Conference is deep from top to bottom and is home to both the defending Stanley Cup champions (Chicago) and the current Presidents’ Trophy winner (Vancouver).

Here’s a snapshot look at what to expect from the four Western Conference series that get under way later this week:

Sleeper pick to win the West: San Jose Sharks

How can a No. 2 seed be a sleeper you say? The Sharks still enter the post-season slightly under the radar for a couple of reasons.

For one, they have toiled in the shadow of the Canucks, who outgained them by a dozen points. For another, the hockey world has by now come to expect all sorts of playoff collapses from this team.

But with a 105-point season and some balance in their attack thanks to the play of rookie Logan Couture, the Sharks could be a big threat to finally go all the way. A veteran group anchored by stellar goaltending down the stretch, they appear to be a team built for post-season success.

Best player to pick for your playoff pool: Corey Perry

The Hart Trophy candidate has been on fire down the stretch for the Anaheim Ducks who can do some damage in the West, especially since they secured home ice for their opening series.

Not only did Perry surpass Tampa’s Steven Stamkos to capture the Maurice Richard Trophy for most goals (50), the man has been a scoring machine in his last 11 games (13 goals and nine assists). With Ryan Getzlaf back and healthy, Perry has become even more dangerous.

Unlike many of the teams in the East that emphasize defensive play, the Ducks are a free-wheeling group and could face similar foes if they make a sustained run in the West.

Goalie who could steal a series: Anntti Niemi, San Jose Sharks

Spurned by the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, Niemi got off to a slow start in his new home but could be a huge factor for the Sharks to finally shake their playoff struggles.

Niemi was particularly strong down the stretch including a sharp effort in a 3-1 win over Phoenix in the final game of the season. With 35 wins, Niemi had a .920 save percentage and goals-against average of 2.38. Arguably, he had a better regular season than he did last year in the Windy City.

Best over bet: Nashville Predators vs. Anaheim Ducks

In four regular-season meetings, the Ducks and Preds never combined for less than five goals. Two of those games ended up being 5-4 final scores.
The Ducks have gone over the total in eight of their past 11 games with all but one of those having 5.5-goal totals.

Nashville is generally a tight-checking outfit, but have been involved in four games that had seven goals scored over the club’s last 10.

Higher seed with worst opening-round matchup: Detroit Red Wings

Once again, the Red Wings face the Desert Dogs from Phoenix. A year ago, it was the Coyotes that were the higher seed after a surprising season but no one really thought they would knock off the powerhouse Wings.

Without captain Shane Doan for most of it, the ‘Yotes almost prevailed, however, losing in a tough seven-gamer. Doan is healthy now however and the experience of a year ago will serve them well, especially under the tight-checking style mandated by coach Dave Tippett.

**Udog** · 04-11-2011, 08:13 AM

NBA
Dunkel

Cleveland at Detroit
The Cavaliers look to build on their 4-0 ATS record in their last 4 games as a road underdog from 5 to 10 1/2 points. Cleveland is the pick (+6 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Pistons favored by only 4 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+6 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, APRIL 11

Game 501-502: Boston at Washington (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 120.403; Washington 111.965
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 8 1/2; 198
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 503-504: Orlando at Philadelphia (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Orlando 119.480; Philadelphia 121.392
Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 2; 186
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 505-506: Miami at Atlanta (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami 123.454; Atlanta 115.884
Dunkel Line & Total: Miami by 7 1/2; 184
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 507-508: Charlotte at New Jersey (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Charlotte 110.774; New Jersey 110.235
Dunkel Line & Total: Charlotte by 1; 196
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey by 2; 193
Dunkel Pick: Charlotte (+2); Over

Game 509-510: Cleveland at Detroit (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland 111.281; Detroit 115.720
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 4 1/2; 202
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit by 6 1/2; 208 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+6 1/2); Under

Game 511-512: Toronto at Milwaukee (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 109.258; Milwaukee 122.388
Dunkel Line & Total: Milwaukee by 13; 206
Vegas Line & Total: Milwaukee by 8; 200
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-8); Over

Game 513-514: Utah at New Orleans (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Utah 113.491; New Orleans 121.705
Dunkel Line & Total: New Orleans by 8; 188
Vegas Line & Total: New Orleans by 7; 193
Dunkel Pick: New Orleans (-7); Under

Game 515-516: Dallas at Houston (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 120.808; Houston 123.446
Dunkel Line & Total: Houston by 2 1/2; 207
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 517-518: Golden State at Denver (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Golden State 113.164; Denver 131.454
Dunkel Line & Total: Denver by 18 1/2; 224
Vegas Line & Total: Denver by 11; 220 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Denver (-11); Over

Game 519-520: Minnesota at Phoenix (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 108.809; Phoenix 116.605
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 8; 195
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 521-522: Oklahoma City at Sacramento (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oklahoma City 125.947; Sacramento 120.329
Dunkel Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 5 1/2; 212
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

**Udog** · 04-11-2011, 08:18 AM

NBA
Write-Up

Monday, April 11

NBA regular season ends Wednesday; be careful investing in games this week, since the good teams are looking ahead to the playoffs and the bad teams........well, they're bad teams. Who wants to bet on them?

Hot Teams
-- Washington won/covered four of its last six games.
-- Miami won five of last six road games, covering last three.
-- Detroit won/covered its last three games. Cavaliers are 11-5 vs spread in their last 16 road games.
-- Hornets won/covered six of its last nine games.
-- Rockets won eight of their last nine home games. Dallas won its last two games, by 11-25 points.
-- Nuggets won eight of their last ten games. Golden State won three of its last four games.
-- Oklahoma City won its last four games (3-1 vs spread). Kings are 7-4 in their last eleven games (8-3 vs spread).

Cold Teams
-- Celtics are 5-6 in their last 11 games (3-7-1 vs spread).
-- Orlando lost three of last four road games; the win was in OT. Sixers lost three of their last four games (0-4 vs spread).
-- Hawks lost their last four games, by 5-7-12-32 points.
-- Bobcats lost their last six games (1-5 vs spread). Nets lost nine of last ten games (0-6 vs spread in last six).
-- Bucks covered once in their last four games as a favorite.
-- Toronto lost nine of its last eleven games.
-- Utah lost ten of its last eleven games (2-7 vs spread last nine).
-- Phoenix lost eight of its last ten games.

Totals
-- Five of last six Boston games stayed under the total.
-- 76ers' last four games stayed under total. Three of last four Orlando games went over the total.
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Atlanta games.
-- Last three Charlotte games went over the total.
-- Last seven Detroit games went over the total.
-- Over is 6-3 in last nine New Orleans games.
-- Under is 8-4 in last dozen Maverick games.
-- Seven of last eight Denver games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Phoenix games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 7-2 in Oklahoma City's last nine road games.

Back-to-Back
-- Celtics are 3-9 vs spread on road if they played night before.
-- Orlando is 6-9 vs spread on road if it played night before.
-- Miami is 4-3 vs spread on road if it won the night before.
-- Bobcats are 2-5-1 vs spread last eight times they played nite before.
-- Detroit is 2-5 vs spread at home if it played night before.
-- Raptors are 4-2 vs spread last six times they played nite before.
-- Hornets are 2-5 vs spread if they lost the night before.
-- Dallas is 6-4 vs spread if playing second night in row on road.
-- Warriors are 1-4 vs spread last five times they played night before.
-- Suns are 2-3 vs spread at home if they played night before.
-- Sacramento is 0-5 vs spread last five times they played night before. Thunder is 6-5 vs spread on road if it played night before.

**Udog** · 04-11-2011, 08:21 AM

NBA

Monday, April 11

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
ORLANDO vs. PHILADELPHIA
Orlando is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games
Orlando is 4-14 ATS in its last 18 games
Philadelphia is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games at home
Philadelphia is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Orlando

7:00 PM
MIAMI vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Miami's last 21 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Miami's last 18 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Atlanta's last 8 games

7:00 PM
BOSTON vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Boston's last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games when playing Washington
Washington is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing Boston
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:00 PM
CHARLOTTE vs. NEW JERSEY
Charlotte is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Charlotte's last 9 games when playing on the road against New Jersey
New Jersey is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Jersey's last 7 games

7:30 PM
CLEVELAND vs. DETROIT
Cleveland is 5-14 SU in its last 19 games
Cleveland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games
Detroit is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games

8:00 PM
TORONTO vs. MILWAUKEE
Toronto is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Milwaukee's last 16 games at home
Milwaukee is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

8:00 PM
UTAH vs. NEW ORLEANS
Utah is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games when playing New Orleans
Utah is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New Orleans's last 7 games when playing Utah
New Orleans is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

8:30 PM
DALLAS vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Dallas's last 20 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 7 games when playing Houston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games at home
Houston is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Dallas

9:00 PM
GOLDEN STATE vs. DENVER
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Golden State's last 7 games when playing Denver
Golden State is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Denver
Denver is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Golden State

10:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. PHOENIX
Minnesota is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Phoenix is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games at home
Phoenix is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota

10:00 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. SACRAMENTO
Oklahoma City is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Oklahoma City is 15-3 SU in its last 18 games
Sacramento is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Sacramento's last 7 games

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**Udog** · 04-11-2011, 08:23 AM

NBA

Monday, April 11

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Pick 'n' roll: Monday's best NBA bets
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Miami Heat at Atlanta Hawks (N/A)

The Hawks have never been able to beat good teams and now they can’t even beat bad teams.

Atlanta is 30-11 against sub-.500 teams this season, but it has lost two in a row to those kinds of opponents and is coming off a 115-83 blowout loss at Washington on Saturday. While the losses are relatively inconsequential since the Hawks are locked into the Eastern Conference’s No. 5 seed, head coach Larry Drew sounds like a defeated man.

“I am not very confident at all,” he told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “I have been in this situation before having been in the league a long time. You can't just flip the switch. It just doesn't work like that.”

Atlanta is also 14-25 against teams with winning records, the second worst such mark among the eight Eastern Conference playoff teams (ahead of only eighth-place Indiana). That does not bode well for Monday’s contest with Miami, nor does Josh Smith being sidelined with a knee injury.

Pick: Heat

Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons (-6.5, 208.5)

The season is drawing to a merciful end for Cleveland and Detroit, but one team will have to win at least one more game when they meet on Monday.

This one could be decided by the simple factor of home-court advantage, which the Pistons own. They are a respectable 21-19 at home during their 2010-11 campaign, while the Cavs are a well-documented 6-34 as visitors.

Detroit leads this season’s head-to-head series 2-1, which includes a 102-92 home victory as a five-point favorite on Dec. 5.

Both squads are limping to the finish line, but Cleveland appears to be in even worse shape. Antawn Jameson and Anderson Varjao are out for the year and both Anthony Parker (back) and Samardo Samuels (groin) are questionable for Monday’s contest.

The Cavs have lost two in a row whereas the Pistons have won two straight heading into a Sunday date with Charlotte.

Pick: Pistons

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**Udog** · 04-11-2011, 08:25 AM

MLB
Dunkel

Chicago Cubs at Houston
The Cubs look to build on their 6-1 record in Ryan Dempster's last 7 starts. Chicago is the pick (-130) according to Dunkel, which has the Cubs favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (-130). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, APRIL 11

Game 951-952: Colorado at NY Mets (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Hammel) 15.852; NY Mets (Pelfrey) 14.851
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-110); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-110); Under

Game 953-954: Chicago Cubs at Houston (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Dempster) 15.254; Houston (Figueroa) 14.491
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-130); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (-130); Over

Game 955-956: St. Louis at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (McClellan) 14.333; Arizona (Enright) 14.858
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Arizona (-120); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-120); Over

Game 957-958: Cincinnati at San Diego (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Volquez) 15.354; San Diego (Latos) 14.910
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: San Diego (-120); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (+100); Under

Game 959-960: LA Dodgers at San Francisco (10:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Kershaw) 14.889; San Francisco (Bumgarner) 15.182
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-115); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-115); Over

Game 961-962: Texas at Detroit (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Ogando) 17.461; Detroit (Verlander) 14.824
Dunkel Line: Texas by 2 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-145); 8
Dunkel Pick: Texas (+125); Under

Game 963-964: Tampa Bay at Boston (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Hellickson) 14.848; Boston (Matsuzaka) 13.728
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Boston (-155); 9
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+135); Over

Game 965-966: Oakland at Chicago White Sox (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Braden) 15.557; White Sox (Buehrle) 16.646
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-125); 9
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-125); Under

Game 967-968: Cleveland at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Talbot) 15.696; LA Angels (Chatwood) 16.842
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1; 9
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-180); 8
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-180); Over

Game 969-970: Toronto at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Litsch) 15.327; Seattle (Hernandez) 14.318
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 5 1/2
Vegas Line: Seattle (-170); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+150); Under

**Udog** · 04-11-2011, 08:27 AM

MLB
Write-Up

Monday, April 11

Hot pitchers
-- McClellan allowed two runs in six IP in his first big league start.
-- Kershaw is 1-1, 2.08 in two starts this season. Bumgarner is 5-2, 1.96 in his last nine starts.

-- Verlander is 5-2, 2.83 in his last seven starts. Ogando tossed shutout ball for six innings in his first major league start.
-- Hellickson is 3-1, 2.53 in five major league starts.
-- FHernandez is 3-2, 2.03 in his last five starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Hammel is 1-2, 8.36 in his last six starts. Pelfrey is 0-1, 17.06 in his two starts this season.
-- Dempster is 0-2, 7.24 in his first two '11 starts. Figueroa is 1-3, 8.10 in his last five starts.
-- Enright is 0-5, 9.47 in his last six starts.
-- Latos is 0-5, 9.00 in his last five starts. Volquez has a 7.36 RA in his first two '11 starts.

-- Matsuzaka is 0-3, 6.75 in his last six starts.
-- Buehrle has a 7.36 RA in his first two '11 starts. Braden is 2-6, 4.81 in his last eight starts.
-- Talbot is 1-2, 4.41 in his last four starts. Chatwood was 13-9, 2.84 in 26 minor league starts LY (A-AAA); this is his first big league start.
-- Litsch is 2-5, 5.60 in his last ten starts.

Totals
-- Over is 6-1-1 in Mets' last eight games.
-- Four of last five Cub games went over the total.
-- Six of last seven St Louis games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last seven Cincinnati games went over the total.
-- Six of last eight Kershaw starts stayed under the total.

-- Six of Detroit's first nine games went over the total.
-- Seven of nine Tampa Bay games stayed under the total.
-- Three of White Sox' four home games stayed under total.
-- Three of last four Angel games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last eight Toronto games stayed under the total.

Hot teams
-- Colorado won six of its last seven games.
-- Diamondbacks won three of their last four games.
-- San Francisco won three of its last four games.

-- Rangers won eight of their first nine games.
-- White Sox won four of their last five games. A's won three of four.
-- Indians won their last seven games, allowing 14 runs. Angels won four of their last five games.

Cold teams
-- Mets lost four of their last five games.
-- Astros lost seven of their first nine games. Cubs lost three of their last four games.
-- Cardinals lost three of their last four games.
-- Reds, Padres both lost three of their last four games.

-- Detroit lost three of its last four games.
-- Red Sox lost seven of first nine games; Tampa Bay lost eight of its first nine games.
-- Mariners lost their last seven games, outscored 43-18. Toronto lost three of its last four games.

**Udog** · 04-11-2011, 08:30 AM

MLB

Monday, April 11

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Trend Report
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1:05 PM
TEXAS vs. DETROIT
Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
Texas is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Detroit's last 8 games when playing Texas
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Texas

7:10 PM
COLORADO vs. NY METS
Colorado is 7-15 SU in its last 22 games
Colorado is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games on the road
NY Mets are 4-9 SU in its last 13 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of NY Mets's last 18 games when playing Colorado

7:10 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. BOSTON
Tampa Bay is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Tampa Bay's last 12 games when playing Boston
Boston is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay

8:05 PM
CHI CUBS vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games when playing Houston
Chi Cubs are 12-4 SU in their last 16 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston's last 9 games
Houston is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games

8:10 PM
OAKLAND vs. CHI WHITE SOX
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oakland's last 5 games on the road
Oakland is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Chi White Sox are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
Chi White Sox are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games at home

9:40 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. ARIZONA
The total has gone OVER in 10 of St. Louis's last 15 games on the road
St. Louis is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Arizona is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Arizona is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

10:05 PM
CINCINNATI vs. SAN DIEGO
Cincinnati is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
Cincinnati is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against San Diego
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Diego's last 7 games at home
San Diego is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games

10:05 PM
CLEVELAND vs. LA ANGELS
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Cleveland's last 12 games on the road
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
LA Angels are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing Cleveland
LA Angels are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games

10:10 PM
TORONTO vs. SEATTLE
Toronto is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Toronto is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Seattle
Seattle is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Seattle's last 7 games

10:15 PM
LA DODGERS vs. SAN FRANCISCO
LA Dodgers are 10-5 SU in their last 15 games
LA Dodgers are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
San Francisco is 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Francisco's last 7 games at home

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**Udog** · 04-11-2011, 08:32 AM

MLB

Monday, April 11

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Hot lines: Monday’s best MLB bets
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Colorado Rockies at New York Mets (-110, 8)

New York’s Mike Pelfrey has been absolutely lit up in his two starts this season.

Pelfrey toed the rubber on April 1 and lasted just 4 1/3 innings at Florida, giving up five runs on four hits and four walks. It did not get much better for the righty on Wednesday, as he allowed eight hits and six earned runs while getting through only two innings in a 10-7 loss at Philadelphia.

“I was bad last week and I was even worse tonight,” Pelfrey told the New York Post after his second outing. “I let them down again. I definitely have to be better than I have been.”

Colorado, meanwhile, is 5-2 as of Sunday afternoon and has won five of six following a season-opening loss to Arizona. The Rockies beat Pittsburgh 6-4 on Saturday and have crossed the plate 24 times in their last four games.

Pick: Rockies

Oakland Athletics at Chicago White Sox (-125, 8.5)

The White Sox are off to a 5-3 start, and it’s mainly due to their hitting. They have pounded out 56 runs in eight games this season, including a 15-10 rout of Cleveland on April 1 and a 10-7 victory over Kansas City on Wednesday.

Leading the charge is Carlos Quentin, who is hitting .400 as of Sunday afternoon and has two home runs to go along with 10 RBIs. Quentin is slugging at .800, while Paul Konerko and Gordon Beckham are both slugging over .500.

All three right-handed hitters could have field day against Oakland southpaw Dallas Braden, who failed to astound in his first start. Braden took the mound on Wednesday and allowed five runs on 10 hits in a 5-3 loss at Toronto.

Chicago is countering with Mark Buehrle, another recent owner of a perfect game (he did it in 2009 before Braden tossed one in 2010). Don’t expect anything similar this time around, because Buehrle is also struggling. After two outings he owns a 7.36 ERA with a mere two strikeouts in 11 innings.

Pick: Over

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Announcement

Monday's Trends and Indexes - 4/11 (NBA, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

Monday's Trends and Indexes - 4/11 (NBA, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

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