Announcement

**Udog** · 04-14-2011, 07:59 AM

Daily Sports Roundup: April 14

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The NHL playoffs continue at three venues, while the Nationals play host to the Phillies, and the PGA Tour takes the course in San Antonio.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The American League schedule for Thursday has Baltimore at the Yankees, Seattle at Kansas City, Detroit at Oakland, and Minnesota at Tampa Bay. Carl Pavano (1-1, 6.00 ERA) is slated to get the ball for the Twins in that last matchup; righthander Pavano beat the Athletics in his last trip to the mound, giving up just one run on four hits over his eight innings of work. The Rays will counter with James Shields (0-1, 4.73 ERA) on Thursday night; righthander Shields was roughed up by the White Sox in his last trip to the mound, surrendering five runs on eight hits over six innings of work.

The National League on Thursday then offers up Colorado at the Mets, Milwaukee at Pittsburgh, Florida at Atlanta, San Diego at Houston, St. Louis at the Dodgers, and Philadelphia at Washington. Cliff Lee (1-1, 7.84 ERA) will take on Jordan Zimmerman (1-1, 3.18 ERA) in that Phillies/Nationals matchup. Lefthander Lee was rocked by the Braves last time out, surrendering six runs on 10 hits over just 3 1-3 innings of work to take the loss. Righthander Zimmerman earned his first win of the season in his most recent trip to the mound, holding the Mets to just two runs on six hits over 5 1-3 innings.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

Three more first-round series get underway on the NHL playoff schedule for Thursday, with Buffalo (+140) at Philadelphia (-160), Los Angeles (+170) at San Jose (-200), and Montreal (+160) at Boston (-180). The 44-30-8 Canadiens and the 46-25-11 Bruins had a tumultuous season series that saw Montreal win four of six games. However, the Habs were blasted 7-0 in Boston when the teams last met on March 24; that followed up the 4-1 Montreal home win in which forward Max Pacioretty was hospitalized on a hit by Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara. The OVER/UNDER was 3-1-2 during the season set.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

Finally, the PGA Tour follows up its Masters tournament with the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio starting on Thursday. Defending champion Adam Scott is the oddsmakers' +1000 favorite to get the win at the event again this week, with Geoff Ogilvy following him on that odds list at +1200. Bo Van Pelt and Martin Laird have each been given +2000 odds to win the Valero Texas Open this week, while Brandt Snedeker, J.B. Holmes, and Anthony Kim are all pegged at +2500 odds to take home the hardware.

**Udog** · 04-14-2011, 08:02 AM

Thursday's betting tips: Canadiens like underdog tag

Who’s hot

NHL: Montreal has won nine of its last 12 meetings with the Boston Bruins.

NHL: Buffalo has won four straight and have won 13 of its last 19 road games.

MLB: The over was 9-0 in New York Mets games heading into Wednesday’s action.

Who’s not

NHL: Philadelphia is 1-3-2 in its last five.

NHL: Los Angeles has won just eight of its last 27 games in San Jose.

MLB: Tampa Bay was hitting just .202 heading into Wednesday’s action.

MLB: The Red Sox were a league-worst 2-9 ahead of Wednesday’s games.

Key stat

1.93 – Everyone expected big things from the Philadelphia Phillies’ starting pitching staff and so far it hasn’t disappointed – apart from one tough start from Cliff Lee. But the club’s bullpen has been just as impressive, leading the league with a 1.93 ERA.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Justin Williams, Los Angeles Kings: Williams has been out of the lineup since dislocating his right shoulder on March 21, but he is taking contact in the team’s practices and could play Thursday against the San Jose Sharks. Without the injured Anze Kopitar, the Kings desperately need Williams’ offense. The right wing had 57 points in 73 games in the regular season.

Game of the day

Montreal Canadiens at Boston Bruins (-180, 5)

Notable quotable

"They're obviously the favorite, deservedly so. They've had a tremendous season, they're the No. 3 seed, they have home ice and all those things. They expect to win and a lot of people expect them to win." - Montreal Canadiens forward Mike Cammalleri on Thursday's Game 1 against the Boston Bruins. The Canadiens made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Final last season as the No. 8 seed.

Notes and tips

The Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers are hammering the over as they get set for Game 1 of their series on Thursday. Buffalo has topped the total in three straight and four of the last five, while Philadelphia has played over in three in a row as well. Plus, each of the last four meetings between the two clubs topped the total – with all four of those over/unders set at 5.5.

Diamondbacks shortstop Stephen Drew looks to have a stranglehold on the cleanup spot of Arizona’s batting order for the time being. Manager Kirk Gibson has slotted Drew in the No. 4 hole in each of the last four games after batting fourth just twice all last year. Drew is 6-for-13 with two doubles and five RBIs helping the Diamondbacks average 5.9 runs per game (fifth in MLB) heading into Wednesday’s game.

**Udog** · 04-14-2011, 08:05 AM

Thursday's six-pack

-- A's won two of three in Chicago this week; in the two wins, Oakland scored a total of one run in innings 1-8. Chisox' bullpen is a mess.

-- Top three jersey sales in NBA this year: 1) Lebron James, because he changed teams, 2) Kobe Bryant 3) Rajon Rondo.

-- There are 13 different ways for a pitcher to balk.

-- Ole Miss has lost 10 scholarship players since last season ended; this is to clear room for all the new kids Houston Nutt signed last spring.

-- Minor league AHL is reducing its schedule to 76 games, eliminating four games/five nights stretches. Wonder if that’s a trend in pro sports?

-- Alexander Semin scored 18:24 into OT, his first goal in his last fifteen playoff games, as Washington held off the 8th-seeded Rangers 2-1.

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

Thursday's List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind.......

13) Last summer, I discovered the NBA Summer League out at UNLV; for $28, you could sit there all day and watch NBA-quality games, with free agents/rookies playing. Great fun. Everyone arrives/leaves through the same doors, so you might be rubbing elbows with a celebrity or two. Looks like the impending labor drama will wipe this year’s Summer League off the calendar, though, which is too bad for my July vacation. There’s always next year, though.

12) In my mind, the NHL playoffs are way better than NBA's playoffs, just because every hockey game is unique, so a best-of-7 series is better suited towards hockey. In a best-of-7 NBA series, the differences from game-to-game are very subtle. The best players are most always going to get the most shots.

11) Doug Collins said on the radio Wednesday that his son Chris has turned down multiple head coaching opportunities. Wish he had named names, so we would know who the nitwits are that want to hire his kid, just because he sits next to Mike Krzyzewski. Other than Mike Brey, what former Coach K aide has been a successful head coach?

10) Is Tommy Amaker the first coach ever to shun the ACC to stay at an Ivy League school? Steve Donahue bolted from Cornell to Boston College LY, just in time since his whole team graduated. Not sure why a bigtime school would want Amaker as a coach; he flopped at Michigan/Seton Hall. Why would this time be any different?

9) UCLA lost Malcolm Lee and the Honeycutt kid early to the NBA, one terrible and one marginally bad decision. Eventually, Ben Howland will get fired in Westwood if he can’t keep his young players in school.

Its not a lot different than what Paul Hewitt went through at Georgia Tech, other than Howland brings in more good players than Tech could, so he is keeping his head above water, but not by a lot.

8) John Pelphrey signed the #8 recruiting class to Arkansas before he got fried, and Mike Anderson did a stellar job keeping all five kids committed to the Hogs. Helps that three of the five kids are from Arkansas.

7) Wonder if they’re making the 2011 NFL schedule any differently this spring because of the labor issues, thinking that Weeks 1-3 might not necessarily get played? Will be interesting to study when the schedule comes out, probably next week.

6) This summer, when the college football magazines come out, will be weird to see Colorado, Nebraska and Utah in different leagues, and BYU as an independent. Especially the Cornhuskers, I guess.

5) The NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, whenever it happens, is likely to change college basketball, too. There are rumors of a 20-year old age limit for players entering the NBA, but not sure if that could fly legally. Hopefully, they can come to an agreement without disrupting the next season, but it doesn't look good, maybe worse than the NFL.

4) Sacramento trailed the Lakers by 20 at home in 4th quarter last night, but rallied after Demarcus Cousins got ejected, sending the game to OT, where the Lakers whacked Sacramento 116-108. Kind of fitting that the Kings' time in Sactown was ended in dramatic fashion by the Lakers.

Cousins is very talented, but is petulant and I'm not sure he gets it; you hope he figures it out, because he could be great, but history tells us its certainly not a sure thing. Sad thing is, he'll be rich either way, but other people's jobs depend on him maturing and becoming a great player.

3) In two starts this season, Phil Hughes has allowed 11 runs on 12 hits in six IP, throwing 137 pitches while getting only three swings/misses. Not good. Krvin Millwood looms down in the minors to replace Hughes.

2) The great Joe Tait retired Wednesday night, after a terrific career as an announcer for the Cavaliers/Indians; somewhere in my stuff is a cassette of the last three outs of Dennis Eckersley's no-hitter against the Angels from 1977, with Tait on the call. Tait was a great, great announcer.

1) Erie CC has a 6-0 forward being recruited by Cincinnati/Washington/St John’s, so the kid must be good. Kid’s name is God’s Gift Achiuwa and I’m not making that up. That’s his real name.

**Udog** · 04-14-2011, 08:09 AM

NHL
Long Sheet

Thursday. April 14

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

MONTREAL (44-30-0-8, 96 pts.) at BOSTON (46-25-0-11, 103 pts.) - 4/14/2011, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 10-1 ATS (+8.3 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest this season.
MONTREAL is 92-91 ATS (-4.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 48-38 ATS (+8.4 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 25-25 ATS (+60.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 12-10-0 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
10 of 17 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.9 Units)

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

BUFFALO (43-29-0-10, 96 pts.) at PHILADELPHIA (47-23-0-12, 106 pts.) - 4/14/2011, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 12-6 ATS (+18.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
BUFFALO is 21-14 ATS (+36.3 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 this season.
BUFFALO is 7-2 ATS (+9.2 Units) in road games after a non-conference game this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 18-18 ATS (-9.7 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 57-69 ATS (-78.8 Units) in home games revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.
PHILADELPHIA is 41-45 ATS (-15.6 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 5-8 ATS (-11.3 Units) in home games after a division game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 7-5 (+0.5 Units) against the spread versus BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 7-5-0 straight up against BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
9 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+5.8 Units)

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

LOS ANGELES (46-30-0-6, 98 pts.) at SAN JOSE (48-25-0-9, 105 pts.) - 4/14/2011, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 13-5 ATS (+19.6 Units) in road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 108-101 ATS (-60.8 Units) in home games after a division game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 11-7 (+0.1 Units) against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 11-7-0 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
9 of 18 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.1 Units)

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

**Udog** · 04-14-2011, 08:10 AM

NHL
Short Sheet

Thursday. April 14

Eastern Conference Playoffs - Best of 7 - Game 1
MONTREAL at BOSTON, 7:05 PM ET VERSUS
MONTREAL: 5-0 SU Away revenging loss by 3+ goals
BOSTON: 10-1 SU playing with 3+ days rest

Eastern Conference Playoffs - Best of 7 - Game 1
BUFFALO at PHILADELPHIA, 7:35 PM ET VERSUS
BUFFALO: 7-2 SU Away off non-conf game
PHILADELPHIA: 5-8 SU at home off division game

Western Conference Playoffs - Best of 7 - Game 1
LOS ANGELES at SAN JOSE, 10:05 PM ET VERSUS
LOS ANGELES: 16-26 SU revenging road loss
SAN JOSE: 28-14 SU at home vs. Los Angeles

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 04-14-2011, 08:11 AM

NHL
Write-Up

Thursday. April 14

Montreal won six of last eight games against Boston, but lost 8-6/7-0 in two of last three meetings- they allowed total of 10 goals in last 10 series wins. Bruins won their last three home games, allowing five goals total. Habs won three of last four games, but none of teams they beat made the playoffs. Under is 7-3 in last ten series games, 6-2-1 in last nine Boston games, 5-1-1 in last seven Montreal games. .

Buffalo won five of last seven games against Flyers, with all four games this year going over total. Defending Eastern Conference champ Philly limped into playoffs losing five of last six games, with four of last five going over the total. Buffalo won four in row, seven of last nine games; four of last five Sabre games went over total.

Los Angeles-San Jose split six games this season; over is 8-5 in last 13 series games. LA lost six of last nine visits to the Shark Tank. Kings lost three of last four games, losing last two games after clinching the playoff spot. Sharks won nine of last 12 games, seven of last eight at home. 10 of Kings' last 12 games stayed under. Over is 10-2-1 in San Jose games.

**Udog** · 04-14-2011, 08:14 AM

NHL

Thursday, April 14

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

7:00 PM
MONTREAL vs. BOSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Montreal's last 7 games
Montreal is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boston's last 9 games

7:30 PM
BUFFALO vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Buffalo's last 7 games on the road
Buffalo is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Buffalo
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games

10:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. SAN JOSE
Los Angeles is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against San Jose
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 5 games when playing on the road against San Jose
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Jose's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Jose's last 5 games when playing at home against Los Angeles

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

**Udog** · 04-14-2011, 08:16 AM

NHL

Thursday, April 14

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ice picks: Thursday's best NHL bets
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Montreal Canadiens at Boston Bruins (-180, 5)

If there is one thing the Bruins can do, it’s score.

Boston has scored two or more goals in each of its past eight games. Over that span, the team has a record of 5-3 and not surprisingly, is averaging nearly 2.8 goals per game during that time. The team has blossomed offensively thanks to the play of its deep lineup. Over the past eight games, a staggering 14 different players have lit the lamp.

That’s bad news for a Canadiens club that has struggled to contain the Bruins depth.

Boston has trashed Montreal in two of the team’s past three meetings. The Bruins are 2-1 over that stretch as scored a combined 16 goals in those meetings, including a 7-0 victory in the team’s most recent matchup.

“It’s a different game, it’s that one step up again from the regular season and every game means something,” Boston rookie Nathan Horton said of the playoffs. “You play in the moment and that’s pretty much what they say.”

On the other bench, Montreal is just 5-5 over its past 10 games and has been shutout three times over that span. For the season, the team is 21st in the league in scoring, averaging just 2.6 goals per game.

Pick: Bruins

Buffalo Sabres at Philadelphia Flyers (-160, 5.5)

For the past two weeks, these teams haven’t been playing regular season hockey. The Sabres have been in playoff mode since the start of April while the Flyers have been going through the motions like it’s the preseason.

“This year, we've been playing playoff hockey long enough now, probably three months worth of it, Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller said. “I don't think we need to change anything. We don't have to get ramped up, get geared up. Last year, we almost had to flick a light switch because we weren't playing good hockey. That catches up to you because it's not the right energy and not the right way to enter a series."

Buffalo has claimed eight of its past 10 games and discovered an offensive flair to go with the stellar goaltending of Miller. The Sabres are averaging 3.1 goals per game over that span and have notched six goals on the man advantage during that time.

"The puck movement has been better, and we're throwing more stuff to the net and getting rewarded for it," Buffalo forward Jason Pominville said. "Our power play is going to be very important."

The Flyers would love to operate at that level of efficiency.

Philadelphia has dropped five of the past six and given up a staggering 3.5 goals per game over that span. Buffalo is in mid-May form and ready to play spoiler.

Pick: Sabres

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

**Udog** · 04-14-2011, 08:31 AM

MLB
Write-Up

Thursday, April 14

Hot pitchers
-- de la Rosa is 1-0, 1.74 in two starts this season. Reynolds allowed two runs in six IP in his first '11 start, at Pittsburgh. Dickey has a 3.27 RA in two starts this season.
-- Nolasco is 1-0, 2.40 in two starts this season.
-- Moseley has a 2.77 RA in two starts, but San Diego didn't score a run in either game.
-- Kuroda is 2-0, 1.72 in two starts this season. Garcia is 1-0, 0.60.

-- Royals won both Chen starts (1-0, 4.09), scoring 15 runs.
-- Gonzalez is 2-0, 0.69 in two starts this season. Coke allowed two runs in 6.2 IP in his first 2011 start, a 3-1 loss.

Cold pitchers
-- Wolf is 0-2, 10.80 in two starts this season. Pirates are 0-2 in Maholm starts this season (0-1, 3.65).
-- Lee is 1-1, 7.84 in two starts this season. Zimmerman is 1-1, 3.97.
-- Beachy is 0-1, 3.75 in two starts this season.
-- Norris is 0-1, 8.10 in two starts this season.

-- Hughes allowed 11 runs in six IP in two starts this season. Arrieta is 0-1, 8.68 in two starts this season.
-- Shields is 0-1, 4.73 in two starts this month. Pavano is 1-1, 6.75.
-- Fister is 0-2, 3.86 in two starts; Seattle scored one run each game.

Totals
-- Five of last seven Philly games went over the total.
-- Six of last eight Pittsburgh games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 8-1-1 in Mets' last ten games.
-- Four of five Florida road games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Houston home games went over the total.
-- Three of last four Dodger games went over the total.

-- Under is 8-1-1 in last ten Minnesota games. Eight of eleven Tampa Bay games stayed under the total.
-- Three of four Baltimore road games stayed under the total.
-- Last four Kansas City home games went over the total.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six Detroit games.

Hot teams
-- Colorado won eight of its last nine games.
-- Phillies won eight of their first eleven games. Washington won four of its last six games.
-- Brewers won six of their last seven games.
-- Cardinals won three of last four games, scoring 37 runs.

-- Bronx won five of its first seven home games.
-- Royals won seven of their last ten games.
-- Oakland won five of its last seven games.

Cold teams
-- Mets lost six of their last seven games.
-- Pirates lost four of their last five games.
-- Braves lost six of their last eight games.
-- Astros lost nine of their first twelve games. Padres lost five of their last seven games.
-- Dodgers lost three of their last four games.

-- Orioles lost three of their last four games.
-- Tampa Bay lost eight of its first eleven games. Twins lost three of their last four games.
-- Mariners lost eight of their last ten games.

**Udog** · 04-14-2011, 08:37 AM

MLB

Thursday, April 14

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

12:10 PM
COLORADO vs. NY METS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games on the road
Colorado is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
NY Mets are 19-6 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Colorado
NY Mets are 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Colorado

3:40 PM
COLORADO vs. NY METS
Colorado4-0-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Colorado is 5-9-1 SU in its last 15 games ,on the road
NY Mets are 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games ,when playing Colorado
NY Mets are 1-6-1 SU in its last 8 games ,

6:40 PM
MINNESOTA vs. TAMPA BAY
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games on the road
Minnesota is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 3-9-1 SU in its last 13 games ,
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games when playing Minnesota

7:05 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. WASHINGTON
Philadelphia is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Washington
Philadelphia is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 7 games

7:05 PM
BALTIMORE vs. NY YANKEES
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Baltimore's last 8 games on the road
Baltimore is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of NY Yankees's last 10 games at home
NY Yankees are 19-4 SU in their last 23 games when playing at home against Baltimore

7:05 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. PITTSBURGH
Milwaukee is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Pittsburgh is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

7:10 PM
FLORIDA vs. ATLANTA
Florida is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Florida's last 5 games
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Florida
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing Florida

8:05 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Diego's last 7 games when playing Houston
San Diego is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Houston
Houston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston's last 7 games when playing San Diego

8:10 PM
SEATTLE vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Seattle's last 7 games
Seattle is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games
Kansas City is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Kansas City is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games

10:05 PM
DETROIT vs. OAKLAND
Detroit is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Oakland's last 8 games when playing at home against Detroit
Oakland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

10:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. LA DODGERS
The total has gone OVER in 12 of St. Louis's last 18 games on the road
St. Louis is 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
LA Dodgers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against St. Louis
LA Dodgers are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games at home

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

**Udog** · 04-14-2011, 08:39 AM

MLB

Thursday, April 14

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hot lines: Thursday's best MLB bets
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Colorado Rockies at New York Mets (-130, 8)

The Rockies entered the season with one mission: win on the road.

"Two things that we concentrated on and we knew in the back of our heads gave us trouble last year were the Dodgers and then road games," Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who had two homers in a two-game sweep of Los Angeles, said. "We took care of the Dodgers, and now we can get some road games out of the way and we'll be out on the right foot.”

Last season, Colorado was a pathetic 31-50 on the road and hit just .228 in opposing parks. So far this year, the Rockies have delivered.

The team is 4-1 in away games this year and is smacking the ball at a .250 clip in those contests. And it’s not like Mets pitching is exactly off to a great start.
New York is allowing opponents to hit .291 through 10 games and has giving up a staggering 21 extra base hits in those contests.

“With the talent that we have, there's no reason that we shouldn't play better on the road,” Rockies hitting coach Carney Lansford said. “It's about being a professional. If you're that good at home and that bad on the road, there's something wrong."

Pick: Rockies

St. Louis Cardinals at Los Angeles Dodgers (-130, 6.5)

The Dodgers picked right up this season where they left off last year against left-handed pitching: sucking.

Los Angeles is hitting just .244 against southpaws this season. But if you look at their stats last year, it shouldn’t surprise you. The Dodgers were just 22nd in the league against lefties a year ago, hitting just .247 against them. Los Angeles has made few adjustments in their batting order to combat lefties and is already paying the price this year.

"It is what it is," Dodgers first baseman James Loney, who is hitting just .163 to start the season, said. "Pop up some balls, get on top of some balls. I have to hit the ones in the middle."

Oh, and Loney and the rest of the struggling Dodgers hitters have to face Cardinals lefty Jaime Garcia on Thursday.

In two starts this season, Garcia has allowed only one earned run over 15 innings and has a fantastic 18/3 strikeout to walk ratio. In both his games, the under easily hit as a total of seven runs were scored in both games combined.

"I knew my arm felt good, physically I felt great and mentally felt like I was where I wanted it to be," Garcia said after a 2-0 win over the Padres. "I wasn't concerned at all. I knew I had the stuff."

Garcia has had the right stuff in both starts this season. And the Dodgers won’t be able to keep up.

Pick: Cardinals

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

**Udog** · 04-14-2011, 09:59 AM

NHL
Dunkel

Montreal at Boston
The Bruins look to take advantage of a Montreal team that is 2-6 in its last 8 playoff games as an underdog from +150 to +200. Boston is the pick (-180) according to Dunkel, which has the Bruins favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Boston (-180). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, APRIL 14

Game 11-12: Montreal at Boston (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 11.325; Boston 12.643
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 1 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Boston (-180); 5
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-180); Under

Game 13-14: Buffalo at Philadelphia (7:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Buffalo 11.457; Philadelphia 12.881
Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia (-160); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-160); Over

Game 15-16: Los Angeles at San Jose (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 11.468; San Jose 12.784
Dunkel Line & Total: San Jose by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-200); 5
Dunkel Pick: San Jose (-200); Over

**Udog** · 04-14-2011, 10:02 AM

MLB
Dunkel

Seattle at Kansas City
The Mariners look to take advantage of a Kansas City team that is 0-6 in Bruce Chen's last 6 starts in game 1 of a series. Seattle is the pick (+115) according to Dunkel, which has the Mariners favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+115). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, APRIL 14

Game 901-902: Colorado at NY Mets (12:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Reynolds) 14.852; NY Mets (Dickey) 15.851
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 9
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-130); 8
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-130); Over

Game 903-904: Milwaukee at Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Wolf) 14.625; Pittsburgh (Maholm) 15.159
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-125); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+105); Over

Game 905-906: Philadelphia at Washington (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Lee) 16.039; Washington (Zimmermann) 15.271
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-160); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-160); Under

Game 907-908: Florida at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Nolasco) 15.358; Atlanta (Beachy) 14.343
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-135); 8
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+115); Under

Game 909-910: San Diego at Houston (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Moseley) 15.022; Houston (Norris) 14.115
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Houston (-120); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+100); Over

Game 911-912: St. Louis at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Garcia) 14.700; LA Dodgers (Kuroda) 16.182
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-125); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-125); Over

Game 913-914: Baltimore at NY Yankees (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Arrieta) 16.142; NY Yankees (Hughes) 15.311
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-185); 10
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+165); Under

Game 915-916: Minnesota at Tampa Bay (6:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Pavano) 14.704; Tampa Bay (Shields) 15.716
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-125); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-125); Under

Game 917-918: Seattle at Kansas City (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Fister) 15.236; Kansas City (Chen) 15.131
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-135); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+115); Over

Game 919-920: Detroit at Oakland (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Coke) 15.699; Oakland (Gonzalez) 16.747
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Oakland (-150); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-150); Over

Game 921-922: Colorado at NY Mets (3:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (De La Rosa) 15.439; NY Mets (Capuano) 14.987
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Colorado (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-120); Under

**Udog** · 04-14-2011, 10:57 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

Thursday, April 14

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

COLORADO (8 - 2) at NY METS (4 - 7) - 12:10 PM
GREG REYNOLDS (R) vs. R.A. DICKEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 36-51 (-18.4 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 36-51 (-18.4 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 20-35 (-19.4 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 33-36 (-17.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 2-0 (+2.1 Units) against NY METS this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

GREG REYNOLDS vs. NY METS since 1997
REYNOLDS is 0-1 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 4.85 and a WHIP of 1.077.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

R.A. DICKEY vs. COLORADO since 1997
No recent starts.

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

MILWAUKEE (6 - 5) at PITTSBURGH (5 - 6) - 7:05 PM
RANDY WOLF (L) vs. PAUL MAHOLM (L)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 30-24 (+13.9 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 409-392 (+47.6 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 27-19 (+15.2 Units) against the money line in home games against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 284-304 (+35.7 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
MAHOLM is 20-13 (+14.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 72-136 (-36.4 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

RANDY WOLF vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
WOLF is 8-3 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 4.35 and a WHIP of 1.227.
His team's record is 13-4 (+6.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-12. (-9.6 units)

PAUL MAHOLM vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
MAHOLM is 3-6 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 4.53 and a WHIP of 1.399.
His team's record is 6-11 (-3.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-7. (+0.7 units)

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

PHILADELPHIA (8 - 3) at WASHINGTON (5 - 6) - 7:05 PM
CLIFF LEE (L) vs. JORDAN ZIMMERMANN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 40-43 (-28.0 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.
PHILADELPHIA is 103-75 (+20.4 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 100-72 (+19.7 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 82-46 (+19.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 1-1 (+0.2 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

CLIFF LEE vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
LEE is 2-0 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 2.25 and a WHIP of 1.188.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

JORDAN ZIMMERMANN vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
ZIMMERMANN is 0-1 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 11.25 and a WHIP of 2.500.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

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

FLORIDA (6 - 5) at ATLANTA (5 - 7) - 7:10 PM
RICKY NOLASCO (R) vs. BRANDON BEACHY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 51-71 (-20.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 450-414 (+47.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997.
FLORIDA is 86-81 (+18.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
FLORIDA is 43-33 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
FLORIDA is 64-55 (+21.0 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons.
FLORIDA is 51-40 (+19.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 3 seasons.
NOLASCO is 66-51 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 12-4 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 12-3 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 10-3 (+7.7 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 11-3 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 13-2 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ATLANTA is 88-87 (-30.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 1-1 (+0.1 Units) against ATLANTA this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

RICKY NOLASCO vs. ATLANTA since 1997
NOLASCO is 4-6 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 5.09 and a WHIP of 1.631.
His team's record is 5-9 (-2.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-9. (-5.2 units)

BRANDON BEACHY vs. FLORIDA since 1997
No recent starts.

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

SAN DIEGO (5 - 6) at HOUSTON (3 - 9) - 8:05 PM
DUSTIN MOSELEY (R) vs. BUD NORRIS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 19-9 (+11.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 47-38 (+17.4 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 31-25 (+16.1 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 93-78 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 33-25 (+14.2 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 95-79 (+17.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

DUSTIN MOSELEY vs. HOUSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

BUD NORRIS vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
NORRIS is 0-1 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 3.27 and a WHIP of 1.273.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.1 units)

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

ST LOUIS (5 - 7) at LA DODGERS (6 - 6) - 10:10 PM
JAIME GARCIA (L) vs. HIROKI KURODA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 90-83 (-26.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 37-50 (-23.2 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 88-82 (-27.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 23-34 (-19.1 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 43-45 (-20.7 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 49-19 (+21.4 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JAIME GARCIA vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
GARCIA is 0-0 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 5.41 and a WHIP of 2.703.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

HIROKI KURODA vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
KURODA is 0-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 1.42 and a WHIP of 0.737.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-3. (-3.2 units)

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

BALTIMORE (6 - 4) at NY YANKEES (6 - 4) - 7:05 PM
JAKE ARRIETA (R) vs. PHIL HUGHES (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 151-273 (-105.0 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against BALTIMORE this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

JAKE ARRIETA vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
ARRIETA is 2-0 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 3.65 and a WHIP of 1.379.
His team's record is 2-0 (+4.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.1 units)

PHIL HUGHES vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
HUGHES is 4-2 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 5.44 and a WHIP of 1.597.
His team's record is 4-4 (-2.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-1. (+4.0 units)

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

MINNESOTA (4 - 7) at TAMPA BAY (3 - 8) - 6:40 PM
CARL PAVANO (R) vs. JAMES SHIELDS (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

CARL PAVANO vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
PAVANO is 5-4 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 3.84 and a WHIP of 1.294.
His team's record is 7-5 (-0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-7. (-2.9 units)

JAMES SHIELDS vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
SHIELDS is 3-1 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 5.27 and a WHIP of 1.594.
His team's record is 3-4 (-2.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-5. (-3.9 units)

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

SEATTLE (4 - 8) at KANSAS CITY (7 - 4) - 8:10 PM
DOUG FISTER (R) vs. BRUCE CHEN (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 63-102 (-38.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 16-39 (-21.4 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 35-73 (-35.7 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 66-108 (-39.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 29-59 (-23.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
FISTER is 2-14 (-13.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
FISTER is 8-20 (-12.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
FISTER is 7-19 (-11.6 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 16-28 (-14.9 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 25-40 (-20.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

DOUG FISTER vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
FISTER is 0-1 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.167.
His team's record is 0-2 (-3.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-2. (-2.4 units)

BRUCE CHEN vs. SEATTLE since 1997
CHEN is 3-0 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 2.27 and a WHIP of 1.134.
His team's record is 4-2 (+2.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (-0.3 units)

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

DETROIT (5 - 7) at OAKLAND (6 - 6) - 10:05 PM
PHIL COKE (R) vs. GIO GONZALEZ (L)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 9-25 (-15.6 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 32-56 (-20.0 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
GONZALEZ is 16-4 (+13.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
OAKLAND is 48-66 (-20.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

PHIL COKE vs. OAKLAND since 1997
No recent starts.

GIO GONZALEZ vs. DETROIT since 1997
GONZALEZ is 0-3 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 10.21 and a WHIP of 1.945.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+0.9 units)

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

COLORADO (8 - 2) at NY METS (4 - 7) - 3:10 PM
JORGE DE LA ROSA (L) vs. CHRIS CAPUANO (L)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 68-92 (-34.4 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 since 1997.
COLORADO is 36-51 (-18.4 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 36-51 (-18.4 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 33-36 (-17.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 2-0 (+2.1 Units) against NY METS this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

JORGE DE LA ROSA vs. NY METS since 1997
DE LA ROSA is 2-1 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 3.44 and a WHIP of 1.418.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.0 units)

CHRIS CAPUANO vs. COLORADO since 1997
CAPUANO is 4-3 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 3.04 and a WHIP of 1.172.
His team's record is 4-4 (-0.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-2. (+3.8 units)

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

Announcement

Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 4/14 (NBA, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 4/14 (NBA, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment