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**StarDust Bum** · 04-27-2011, 11:02 PM

NY Yankees, White Sox finish MLB betting series in Bronx

What's gotten into the Chicago White Sox this week?

Ozzie Guillen brought his bunch to the Big Apple beaten and bruised in the throes of a 1-10 stretch on the schedule. Two underdog wins later, the White Sox have a chance to at least win their series with the New York Yankees if not sweep all four games when the clubs conclude their set Thursday evening (4:05 p.m. PT).

Thursday's mound matchup has Edwin Jackson (3-2, 4.88) slated for the Pale Hose against New York lefty CC Sabathia (3-2, 2.73).

Chicago's success in the first two games of the series is directly attributed to starting pitching which has been the least of Guillen's worries so far this season. Philip Humber carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning of Monday's series opener, a 2-0 ChiSox victory. Gavin Floyd tossed eight strong innings Tuesday, his only mistakes being solo homers by Robinson Cano and Brett Gardner. An 8th-inning clout by Paul Konerko helped Chicago to a 3-2 win.

Sergio Santos earned the save in both games that closed with the White Sox 175 and 120 underdogs respectively.

Wednesday's third game was still in progress with the Yankees 165 chalk in a matchup of veteran pitchers and former teammates, Mark Buehrle and Bartolo Colon.

Jackson will try and match the efforts of Humber and Floyd in Thursday's affair. It's the right-hander's fourth road start of the season with Chicago 1-2 in the previous three.

Detroit inflated Jackson's ERA in his most recent outing when Jackson allowed seven earned in 5 2/3 innings. Jackson also hasn't received any run support in his last two starts. The White Sox plated 19 runs in his first three assignments but have been blanked the last two games.

This will be Jackson's second appearance at this stadium, last pitching against the Yankees in the Bronx in July 2009. He lost a 2-1 decision on solo shots belted by Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira.

It's the fourth home start for Sabathia with New York winning two of the first three in front of the home crowd. It's also his fourth start against the White Sox since joining the Yankees, New York winning the first three. Two of the starts came in Chicago where Sabathia was knocked around pretty good allowing five earned in seven frames both starts.

The lack of offense in the first two games of this series is a big turnaround from last season's meetings between the clubs at Yankee Stadium. New York won two of the three games in the Bronx a year ago, all of which went 'over' with 10 runs the lowest combined score.

St. Louis native Gerry Davis will be working his 936th MLB game behind the plate on Thursday, the six this season splitting the totals down the middle. This will be his first appearance south of the dish at the new Yankee Stadium.

An 80 percent chance of thunderstorms is in the forecast for New York City on Thursday. The thermometer should be in the low-60s at game time with strong southerly winds in the 15-25 mph range (from 1B across to 3B). This is the only meeting between the teams in New York, and with the Yankees already having three games rained out, expect the umpires to go the extra mile to get this one played.

Joe Girardi's gang remains home for a weekend series with the Blue Jays that begins Friday night. The White Sox return home to start a six-game homestand, the first four against the Orioles in a wrap-around series before the Twins show up next week for a pair.

NOTE: Win-loss records shown for starting pitchers are their team's record in their starts unless otherwise noted.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-27-2011, 11:03 PM

NHL Odds: Vancouver Canucks draw Predators

The Stanley Cup postseason chase continues with the conference semifinals set in the Western Conference. The first-round was devoid of some major upsets, with the top three seeds advancing past the opening round and the fifth seed eclipsing the fourth seed.

Top-seed Vancouver (54-19-4-5) escaped the first-round upset bid from defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago. The Canucks opened the season as a 12/1 selection to capture the cup, but are currently 7/2.

Fifth-seed Nashville (44-27-7-4) won its first playoff series in team history by dumping Anaheim in six games. The Predators have seen their Stanley Cup odds improve steadily throughout the year, opening at 40/1 before residing at their current 12/1.

Don Best's Real-Time Odds show Vancouver as 220 home ‘chalk’ in Game 1 over Nashville, with the total set at five. The puck drops Thursday at 6:00 p.m. (PT).

The Canucks are also decided 330 favorites to win this series and advance to the conference finals, while the Predators are a 270 underdog.

Vancouver won the first three games versus Chicago in the opening round before dropping the next three matchups to force a dramatic Game 7. The Canucks escaped with the overtime victory as a 165 home favorite, 2-1, while the combined three goals went ‘under’ the 5 ½-goal closing total.

Left wing Alex Burrows scored both goals in the Game 7 triumph, lighting the lamp just 2:43 into the contest. The game winner occurred 5:22 into overtime to eliminate the team that has ended Vancouver’s season the previous two years.

Burrows spent an early part of the extra session in the penalty box, and he also missed a penalty shot early in the third period.

The Canucks finished the game with advantages in faceoffs, 33-29, and shots on goal, 38-32. Vancouver appeared headed to a 1-0 victory in regulation until Chicago tied the game on a shorthanded goal with less than two minutes remaining.

Nashville toppled Anaheim in Game 6 as 141 home ‘chalk,’ 4-2, while the combined six goals slithered ‘over’ the 5 ½-goal closing total. The ‘over’ cashed in the Predators’ past five performances.

Nick Spaling netted two goals in the victory, while Jordin Tootoo assisted on both tallies. Steve Sullivan and David Legwand also lit the lamp, while netminder Pekka Rinne stopped 25 shots. Nashville enjoyed advantages in faceoffs won, 33-22, and shots on goal, 30-27.

This series was tied at two games apiece before the Predators took the last two outings. Nashville dispatched the Ducks in overtime in Game 5 as a 130 road underdog, 4-3, while the combined seven goals toppled the five-goal closing total.

Vancouver and Nashville met four times during the regular season, with both teams winning twice. The Canucks prevailed Jan. 26 as 180 home ‘chalk,’ 2-1, and March 29 as a 108 road favorite, 3-1. The Predators triumphed Feb. 17 as 117 home ‘chalk,’ 3-1, and March 3 as a 169 road underdog, 3-0.

The ‘under’ cashed in all four of those matchups.

Nashville left wing Martin Erat (upper body injury) is ‘probable’ for Game1 versus the Canucks, while center Cal O’Reilly (fibula) is ‘doubtful.’ Vancouver defenseman Sami Salo (leg) is ‘questionable’ for Game 1 against the Predators, while center Rick Rypien (personal) is ‘out’ indefinitely.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-27-2011, 11:23 PM

Thursday, April 28

Game Score Status Pick Amount

San Francisco - 12:35 PM ET San Francisco +106 500
Pittsburgh - Under 8.5 500

Seattle - 1:05 PM ET Seattle +102 500
Detroit - Under 8 500

Tampa Bay - 1:10 PM ET Minnesota -110 500
Minnesota - Over 8 500

Toronto - 2:05 PM ET Toronto +143 500
Texas - Over 9 500

Boston - 7:05 PM ET Boston -176 500
Baltimore - Under 8.5 500

Chi. White Sox - 7:05 PM ET Chi. White Sox +183 500
NY Yankees - Over 9 500

Kansas City - 7:05 PM ET Kansas City +150 500
Cleveland - Over 8.5 500

NY Mets - 7:05 PM ET Washington -110 500
Washington - Under 8 500

St. Louis - 8:05 PM ET Houston +127 500
Houston - Over 8.5 500

Tampa Bay - 8:10 PM ET Tampa Bay +122 500
Minnesota - Over 7.5 500

Chi. Cubs - 9:40 PM ET Chi. Cubs -108 500
Arizona - Over 9.5 500

**StarDust Bum** · 04-28-2011, 06:30 PM

Yankees big favorites with Sabathia vs. White Sox

CHICAGO WHITE SOX (10-15)

at NEW YORK YANKEES (13-8)

First pitch: Thursday, 7:05 p.m. EDT
Line: New York -185, Chicago +175, Total: 9

A night after getting shut down by a fading Bartolo Colon, things won’t get any easier for the White Sox when they face CC Sabathia in Yankee Stadium on Thursday.

Sabathia is 21-5 with a 2.94 ERA at the New Yankee Stadium in his career. The Yankees have won 27 of his 38 starts there (regular and postseason). He’s pitched much better this season than his 1-1 record would indicate, posting a 2.73 ERA.

The big lefty has had plenty of success against the White Sox over the years, going 16-4 with a 3.82 ERA over 29 starts. In his three starts against Chicago as a Yankee, New York has won each time, even as Sabathia hasn’t been particularly sharp (he allowed five runs over seven innings in two of those starts). Some of the Chicago regulars have had success against him: OF Alex Rios (1.020 OPS in 34 plate appearances), Alexei Ramirez (.838 in 16 PAs) and Gordon Beckham (.909 OPS in 11 PAs).

The White Sox will go with righty Edwin Jackson, who has been hit hard in his past three outings. Opponents are hitting .395 against him in his past three starts, as Jackson has allowed 15 runs (14 earned) and 30 hits in just 17.1 innings.

He hasn’t faced the Yankees since 2009, and his overall career record against New York isn’t promising (2-5, 4.81 ERA in 11 starts). But Jackson did pitch well against them in 2009, when he was with Detroit. While he didn’t win either start against the Yankees that year, he threw six shutout innings in their first matchup and held them to two runs over seven innings the second time around. Some of the Yankees’ current top bats have hit him awfully hard over the years though: Derek Jeter (.960 OPS in 31 PAs), Alex Rodriguez (1.390 in 23 PAs), Mark Teixeira (1.000 OPS in 14 PAs) and Nick Swisher (1.346 OPS in 18 PAs).

If Jackson was throwing better of late, I’d say this was a great time to bet on a heavy underdog like the Sox. But I don’t think he’s up to the task or dueling with Sabathia on Thursday. My pick is New York. The FoxSheets give more reason to be against Jackson and the Sox Thursday night, including this four-star trend:

Play Against - Road underdogs with a money line of +175 to +250 (CHI WHITE SOX) - with a starting pitcher whose gives up 0.5 or less HR's/start against opponent with a starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.300 or better on the season-AL. (116-22 since 1997, 84.1%, +68.6 units. Rating = 4*).

**StarDust Bum** · 04-28-2011, 06:31 PM

Lester, Red Sox try to avoid getting swept by Orioles

BOSTON RED SOX (10-13)

at BALTIMORE ORIOLES (10-12)

First pitch: Thursday, 7:05 p.m. EDT
Line: Boston -175, Baltimore +165, Total: 8.5

The Orioles have an unexpected chance to complete a three-game sweep of Boston on Wednesday, but they’re on the wrong end of a major starting pitcher mismatch.

Baltimore got a gem from Jeremy Guthrie Wednesday night, shutting out the Sox for six innings. The bullpen blew it, allowing four runs in the eighth, but the O’s got it back in the bottom of that inning against Daniel Bard and held on for a 5-4 win.

Orioles starters have allowed just one run in 12 innings over the first two games of this series. But on Thursday, they’ll have Triple-A-caliber starter Brad Bergesen on the mound. Bergesen would be in the minors right now if not for a rash of injuries to the Baltimore rotation. In three starts this year, he’s 0-3 with a 6.14 ERA, and has allowed 13 runs in 14.2 innings. He has had decent success against the Sox though, posting a 3.32 ERA against Boston over six career starts.

The Sox will counter with ace Jon Lester. Despite Boston losses in three of his five starts this season, he’s been pitching at a Cy Young-caliber level. Lester has a 2.59 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and has struck out 30 in 31.1 innings. After a shaky start in the season opener in Texas, he has a 1.38 ERA over his past four starts.

His track record against the Orioles is nearly flawless. He’s made 16 career starts against Baltimore, and the Sox have won 15 of them, going 13-0 with a 2.33 ERA in those starts. He’s had particular success against Vladimir Guerrero, one of the new bats in the heart of the Baltimore lineup. Guerrero is just 4-for-16 career with one extra-base hit (a double) against Lester.

Even after an impressive couple of wins to start this series, it’s an awfully tall order for the Orioles to complete the sweep against Lester. My pick is heavily-favored Boston.

Among the info from the FoxSheets working against the Orioles is this one:

BALTIMORE is 20-41 (32.8%, -19.3 Units) against the money line vs. poor power teams - averaging 0.9 or less HR's/game over the last 2 seasons. The average score was BALTIMORE 3.8, OPPONENT 5.1 - (Rating = 1*).

**StarDust Bum** · 04-28-2011, 06:31 PM

Mets go for 7th straight win in finale vs. Nationals

NEW YORK METS (11-13)

at WASHINGTON NATIONALS (10-13)

First pitch: Thursday, 7:05 p.m. EDT
Line: Washington -120, New York +110, Total: 8

Reports of the New Yok Mets demise have been greatly exaggerated. A week ago, after two straight losses to the equally struggling Houston Astros solidified the Amazins as the worst team in the national league at 5-13, manager Terry Collins was in search of some positive kharma, divine intervention, or he just needed the return of his .300-hitting left-fielder Jason Bay. Last Thursday Bay made his 2011 debut by slamming a double and scoring two runs versus Houston in a win. Two days later, he went 2-for-4 and hit his first homer of the season against Arizona. The Mets have scored 39 runs in the six games (6.5 runs per game) since Bay got back on the field, and are a perfect 6-0. While Bay is hitting .391, the Mets are hitting on all cylinders. Thursday they go for a sweep of the Washington Nationals and a seventh straight win overall, as they try and carry momentum into a big weekend series in Philadelphia against the defending NL East champs.

The Mets are coming off a 6-3 come-from-behind win on Wednesday, in a game that saw Daniel Murphy hit a game-tying homer in the eighth, and a two-run double in the ninth that sparked a four-run inning. The Mets bats have been resurgent, as they are batting .305 with 10 homers during the win streak. First baseman Ike Davis (.345) is on a career-high, nine-game hitting streak, during which he's hitting .469 with three homers and seven RBI. Leadoff man Jose Reyes is 10-for-29 with six runs over the past seven games.

The Mets will send Chris Capuano to the mound. Capuano is 2-2 in five career starts against Washington with a 4.01 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. While Capuano has won two of his past three starts against the Nats, two of those starts came four years ago. The most recent start was April 9, when he got the win despite allowing four runs on seven hits (2 HR) in six innings, with one walk and eight strikeouts. This year Capuano is 2-1 with a 5.95 ERA, yet in his last start, it was his seven-inning, six-hit, one-run performance that allowed the Mets to defeat Houston, kick-starting the team’s current six-game win streak.

The Nationals will counter Thursday with Livan Hernandez, who is like old man river, (he just keeps rolling on, and no one is quite sure how old he is). Hernandez (2-2, 3.48 ERA) will try to help his team avoid a four-game slide by rebounding from his latest effort, which may have been his worst of the season. The right-hander surrendered seven runs -- four earned -- and nine hits with four walks in six innings of a 7-2 defeat at Pittsburgh on Saturday. That came after allowing a total of two runs while winning each of his previous two starts. For his career, he is 13-14 when starting against the Mets with an ERA of 4.11 and a WHIP of 1.44. His team's record is 22-16 in these starts.

Washington’s offense has been slumping for most of the year. They are at the bottom of the league rankings in BA and slugging percentage. The team’s top hitter (with enough AB to qualify for a batting title) is Michael Morse, is only batting .234. The team’s big free-agent acquisition, Jayson Werth, is batting all of .233, yet leads the team in hits with 20 (in 22 total games). Last season while playing in Philadelphia, Werth hit .186 with runners in scoring position. This year, he’s doing even worse, batting .176 (3-for-17) w/RISP and 1-for-8 w/RISP and two outs. That explains why with a team-high four home runs, he only has six RBI this entire season. Washington dearly misses slugging third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who is nursing an abdomen injury and remains on the disabled list. Thursday they will need the crafty Hernandez to work some more of his magic against the sizzling Mets. He certainly is capable. Last year, Hernandez baffled the Mets, posting a 1.89 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in five starts against them.

Look for Hernandez to help Washington bounce back and salvage the last game of the series, avoiding the sweep. This five-star FoxSheets trend also advises to refrain from picking the Mets:

Play Against - Road teams (N.Y. METS) - below average NL hitting team (AVG <=.255) against a team with a very good bullpen (ERA <=3.33), with a starting pitcher whose gives up 1 or more HR's/start. (38-5 over the last 5 seasons.) (88.4%, +31.5 units. Rating = 5*).

**StarDust Bum** · 04-28-2011, 06:32 PM

Canucks-Predators open 2nd round of playoffs

NASHVILLE PREDATORS

at VANCOUVER CANUCKS

Western Conference Playoffs – Second Round
Game 1
Puck drops: Thursday, 9:05 p.m. EDT
Line: Vancouver -180, Nashville +160, Total: 5

Two teams with very little recent playoff success meet Thursday for the opener of the second round of the NHL playoffs. Nashville is coming off its first-ever playoff series win in the 12 years of the franchise’s existence, while Vancouver has not advanced past the conference semis in any of its previous nine playoff appearances.

After allowing 16 goals in a four-game stretch (Games 2-5) in the series win over Anaheim, Vezina Trophy finalist Pekka Rinne was back to his usual self in the Game 6 clincher, tallying 25 saves on 27 shots. When facing Vancouver’s top-scoring offense (NHL-best 3.15 goals per game) in the regular season, Rinne had a 1.26 GAA and .962 Save Pct. in four games. Rinne’s .930 Save Pct. during the regular season ranked second in the NHL, behind only Tim Thomas of Boston, Rinne was also third in the league in GAA (2.12), behind Thomas and Roberto Luongo, the opposing netminder in this series.

Nashville’s offense ranked tied for 21st in the regular season, as the Preds averaged just 2.60 goals per game. But in the playoffs, only the Red Wings (4.50) have scored more goals per game than Nashville’s 3.67. Mike Fisher leads the Predators with six points (3 G, 3 A) while Joel Ward and Norris Trophy finalist Shea Weber each have five (3 G, 2 A for each player).

Vancouver nearly blew a 3-0 series lead to Chicago, and didn’t punch its ticket to the conference semifinals until overtime of Game 7 in the first round. But the Canucks won the Presidents’ Trophy this season and have recorded over 100 points in each of their past five seasons, so this is still a dangerous team to contend with. Goalie Roberto Luongo had a stellar regular season, with 38 wins (t-1st in NHL), 2.11 GAA (2nd in NHL) and .928 Save Pct. (3rd in NHL), but struggled in round one. He was pulled from both Games 4 and 5, then benched before the start of Game 6. However, he did have a tremendous Game 7, stopping 31 of 32 Chicago shots on goal. Luongo also posted a top-notch 1.77 GAA and .929 Save Pct. in four meetings with Nashville this year.

The Canucks offense was less than stellar in their series with the Blackhawks as they only surpassed three goals once, and finished the seven games with only 16 goals. This 2.29 goals-per-game average was much lower than their NHL-best 3.15 clip during the regular season. Daniel Sedin, who led the league in points, had a strong series with five goals and two assists. Twin brother Henrik didn’t score, but he did dish out five assists. Alex Burrows had six points (3 G, 3 A), but no other player had more than four.

Both teams have been strong on the power play in the postseason, converting 22.2% of their man advantages. The Predators have been the worst team in the playoffs at killing penalties though, allowing eight goals in 22 chances (64% PK Pct.). Nashville has played pretty well in Vancouver recently, splitting the past 10 games 5-5. The Predators have also had two more days of rest, and have a great chance to steal a game in Vancouver while the Canucks try to regroup after an exhausting series both mentally and physically. I’m picking the huge underdog Nashville squad to win a low-scoring contest with Rinne posting a monster game. The FoxSheets back up my pick with these three trends:

NASHVILLE is 26-11 ATS (70.3%, +11.6 Units) against poor defensive teams - opponents average 29.5+ shots on goal in the 2nd half of the year this season. The average score was NASHVILLE 3.3, OPPONENT 2.3 - (Rating = 2*).

NASHVILLE is 23-10 ATS (69.7%, +10.9 Units) after scoring 3 goals or more in 2 straight games this season. The average score was NASHVILLE 3.3, OPPONENT 2.4 - (Rating = 2*).

NASHVILLE is 27-14 ATS (65.9%, +42.4 Units) revenging a loss where team scored 1 or less goals over the last 2 seasons. The average score was NASHVILLE 2.9, OPPONENT 2.6 - (Rating = 2*).

The FoxSheets also show a highly-rated trend that sides with my belief the game will finish Under the total.

NASHVILLE is 17-5 UNDER (77.3%, +11.8 Units) after having won 3 of their last 4 games this season. The average score was NASHVILLE 2.4, OPPONENT 2.3 - (Rating = 3*).

**StarDust Bum** · 04-28-2011, 06:40 PM

Canucks - Predators Outlook

April 28, 2011

No. 1 Vancouver Canucks vs. No. 5 Nashville Predators

Series Price: Vancouver -255, Nashville +215

Series Format: Vancouver, 2-2-1-1-1

HEAD TO HEAD COMPARISONS
TEAM SU PUCK LINE HOME AWAY OVER/UNDER
48-29-11 53-35 26-10-8 22-20-3 32-43-13
58-21-10 43-46 30-10-5 28-11-5 37-47-4

2010-11 Head to Head Meetings
Date Results Total
3/29/11 Vancouver 3 (+100) @ Nashville 1 UNDER 5
3/3/11 Nashville 3 (+165) @ Vancouver 0 UNDER 5.5
2/17/11 Vancouver 1 @ Nashville 3 (-120) UNDER 5.5
1/26/11 Nashville 1 @ Vancouver 2 (-175) UNDER 5.5

Skinny: The Predators are in virgin territory right now after winning their first playoff series in six games against Anaheim in the first round. What’s surprising about their advancing is that they did it with their offense. Nashville was 23rd in the NHL during the regular season with 2.59 goals per game. In the playoffs, the Preds lead all teams with 22 goals scored. You have to give Barry Trotz’s club a lot of credit in that everyone was capable of scoring at any time. Nashville had 12 different goal scorers against the Ducks, and only Shane O’Brien failed to tally at least an assist in the first round.

Defensively, Nashville was found lacking on a few occasions against arguably the best scoring line in the game today (Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Bobby Ryan). That directly effected the stats for Vezina Trophy finalist Pekka Rinne. The Finnish netminder has a .876 save percentage, which helped him have a blown up goals against average of 3.29.

Vancouver didn’t have much time to savor its seven-game triumph over the Blackhawks. I guess they’ll just have to take solace in that they’re advancing on, while Chicago is stuck watching the Cubs now.

The Canucks had just nine guys light the lamp against Chicago in the opening round, with Daniel Sedin leading the way with five goals. While we shouldn’t be shocked by Daniel’s output, it was a little disturbing to the Vancouver faithful that he disappeared in Games 5, 6 and 7 with just one goal and a -3 rating. Plus, this team had no power play goals in those final three matches against the Blackhawks. That’s not good for a team that led everyone with a 24.3 success rate in the regular season.

Vancouver also has a Vezina finalist between the pipes in Roberto Luongo. While he did have a masterful performance in Game 7, there is plenty of reason to believe his confidence was shaken during the series. Luongo was pulled in two games and was benched for Game 6. It’s anyone’s guess as to where his head is prior to the start of the Western Conference Semifinals.

One person to focus on for this series is Ryan Kesler for the Canucks. He scored 41 goals during the regular season campaign, but was held without none in the playoffs so far. Daniel and Henrik Sedin will be getting all the attention of Shea Weber and Ryan Suter, so Kesler will have no excuse if he fails to find the back of the net.

Gambling Notes: This was a very close season series with both teams winning twice in regulation. And defense was on display ever time with no game having more than four goals scored. That helped the ‘under’ easily go 4-0 in the head-to-head battles.

The Predators only went 11-9 straight up and on the puck line this year against the Northwest Division. However, they are 7-3 SU and PL in the last 10 games of the regular season. The ‘under’ is 7-2-1 in that stretch as well.

Vancouver was a puck line machine to close out the regular season, but that went away in the playoffs. If you focus just on when the Canucks are favored at home against the Central Division, you’ll see that they’re 9-5 SU and 2-12 PL. That includes a 1-7 PL run February to the present.

Outlook: The talent battle for this series is clearly going for the Canucks. Yet I can’t help but feel that seven-game series will hurt them in this round. We saw the same thing happen to Detroit against the Sharks last year after a seven-game war with the Coyotes in the opening round. I will grant that the Red Wings are a much older side than Vancouver. My other issue for Vancouver right now is that I don’t trust Luongo in the playoffs. His confidence gets shaken way too easily after giving up a goal…particularly when it’s first tally of the game.

Nashville doesn’t have the name brand stars to light the lamp, but they do have a lot of guys capable of scoring. They’ve shown that they have a concentrated effort as a group to win games. And they also have one of the league’s best goaltenders in Rinne. That’s why I’m going to take the Predators to pull off the big upset in seven games.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-28-2011, 06:41 PM

Playoff Results - Second Round

April 28, 2011

First Round Results

Visitor Home Final Score ATS OVER/UNDER

Thursday Apr. 28, 2011
Predators Canucks

Friday Apr. 29, 2011
Lightning Capitals
Red Wings Sharks

Saturday Apr. 30, 2011
Bruins Flyers
Predators Canucks

Sunday May 1, 2011
Red Wings Sharks
Lightning Capitals

Monday May 2, 2011
Bruins Flyers

Tuesday May 3, 2011
Capitals Lightning
Canucks Predators

Wednesday May 4, 2011
Capitals Lightning
Flyers Bruins
Sharks Red Wings

Thursday May 5, 2011
Canucks Predators

Friday May 6, 2011
Sharks Red Wings
Flyers Bruins

Saturday May 7, 2011
Lightning Capitals
Predators Canucks

Sunday May 8, 2011
Bruins Flyers
Red Wings Sharks

Monday May 9, 2011
Capitals Lightning
Canucks Predators

Tuesday May 10, 2011
Flyers Bruins
Sharks Red Wings

Wednesday May 11, 2011
Lightning Capitals
Predators Canucks

Thursday May 12, 2011
Bruins Flyers
Red Wings Sharks

Winners in BOLD

**StarDust Bum** · 04-28-2011, 06:43 PM

Diamond Trends - Thursday

April 28, 2011

SU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Tigers are 10-0 since April 28, 2010 at home after a loss in which they were shut out in the last 6 innings for a net profit of $1040.
Advertisement

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Orioles are 0-12-1 OU since May 02, 2010 vs a team that has lost at least their last two games and it is the last game of a series for a net profit of $1100 when playing the under.

STARTER TREND OF THE DAY:

The Yankees are 10-0 since August 18, 2009 when CC Sabathia starts after more strike outs than hits allowed on the road for a net profit of $1005.

MLB BIBLE TREND OF THE DAY:

The Rays are 0-9 O/U (-2.6 rpg) in database history (since 2004) the first game of a doubleheader.

TODAY’S TRENDS:

The Mariners are 0-12 since April 09, 2010 as a road dog vs a team that has lost at least their last two games for a net profit of $1200 when playing against.
The Mets are 0-5 since July 03, 2010 on the road after a win in which they allowed 1 or fewer walks for a net profit of $610 when playing against.
The Royals are 5-0 since July 19, 2010 when Kyle Davies starts as a dog after the team lost their last three games for a net profit of $725.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-28-2011, 06:44 PM

Thursday Late Tips

April 20, 2011

The Thursday night baseball card involves several teams sending out their aces in long favorite roles. The Red Sox continue their nine-game road trip as they travel to Southern California to begin a four-game set with the red-hot Angels, while the A's and Mariners hook up in an AL West battle in Seattle. We'll begin at Petco Park as the Phillies head out west to start a seven-game swing against the upstart Padres.

Phillies at Padres - 10:05 PM EST

The top pitching matchup on Thursday's card comes from San Diego as Roy Oswalt and Mat Latos take the mound in what looks to be a low-scoring affair. The Phillies avoided a sweep with Wednesday's comeback victory over the Brewers, while the Padres return home after playing a doubleheader on the North Side against the Cubs. San Diego looks to improve on a 3-5 record at Petco Park, as their ace attempts to get in the win column.

Latos (0-2, 5.84 ERA) last won a start on September 7, 2010 against the Dodgers, as the tall Padres' right-hander has dropped seven straight decisions. Since coming off the DL on April 11, Latos has been unable to cash in a victory with losses to the Reds and Astros. Latos allowed four hits in each outing, while pitching at least six innings, but the offense has supplied him with an average of 2.5 runs/start. In two career outings against the Phillies, Latos is winless, while losing a 3-2 decision as $1.20 favorites to his counterpart on Thursday.

Oswalt (2-0, 2.50 ERA) shut down the Padres' offense in that victory last August at Petco Park, tossing eight innings and giving up just one run. The former Astros' righty has delivered three quality starts this season, while coming off a no-decision in a 4-3 home loss to the Marlins his last time out. Since getting acquired from Houston last July, the Phillies are 5-2 in Oswalt's seven road starts, but both losses came as a favorite.

The Phillies won five of seven meetings against the Padres last season, including a three-game sweep in Southern California. Runs will be at a premium at spacious Petco Park as all three meetings in San Diego last season resulted in 'unders.'

Red Sox at Angels - 10:05 PM EST

Boston's swing through the Golden State continues in Orange County as the Red Sox and Angels start a four-game set. Los Angeles was expected to improve after a disappointing 2010 campaign, as the Halos have played well out of the gate with an 11-6 record. The Angels begin a seven-game homestand against their old playoff nemesis who L.A. finally eliminated in the ALDS of the 2009 postseason.

The Halos and Red Sox have a playoff history that has been pretty much one-sided with Boston knocking out Los Angeles four times in franchise history, including three times since 2004. L.A. hopes to get some revenge on Boston after the Sox beat the Halos nine of 10 times last season. The task isn't easy in the series opener against Josh Beckett (2-1, 1.80 ERA), who is coming off a pair of terrific home outings against the Blue Jays and Yankees. Beckett allowed just one earned run combined, while striking out 19 in the two victories over Boston's division rivals. However, the Sox are 1-7 in Beckett's last eight starts against the Angels since 2008.

Tyler Chatwood (1-1, 3.75 ERA) is making his third career start for the Angels, as the righty shut down the White Sox, 7-2, while cashing as a $1.60 road underdog. Chatwood scattered five hits and one earned run in seven innings, bouncing back from a subpar performance in his debut against Cleveland as he allowed four runs in a 4-0 defeat.

The Sox plated at least five runs in seven of the nine meetings last season, while going 6-1 as a favorite in the series. The Angels are 4-2 at home this season, but both losses have come in the series opener.

Athletics at Mariners - 10:10 PM EST

These two AL West rivals meet at Safeco Field after Seattle grabbed two of three games in the opening weekend of the season. The Mariners have struggled since that series by going 4-12, while losing four of five series. Seattle will try to bounce back as it sends out the reigning Cy Young Award winner to stop the bleeding against a feisty Oakland lineup.

Felix Hernandez (1-2, 4.33 ERA) was knocked around in each of his last two starts, allowing 18 hits and 12 runs (nine earned) as the Mariners split against the Blue Jays and Royals. Seattle used a massive rally to stun Toronto, 8-7 and get Hernandez off the hook as the Jays blew a 7-0 lead. King Felix couldn't bounce back as a $1.40 road favorite at Kansas City by giving up five runs in five innings of a 7-0 setback. Hernandez has been successful against the A's in his career, as the M's are 5-1 in his last six starts in the series. The season started on a solid note thanks to Hernandez tossing a complete-game gem to beat Oakland, 6-2 as short road underdogs.

The A's counter with Brandon McCarthy (1-0, 2.45 ERA), who is coming off consecutive quality starts against the Twins and Tigers. McCarthy grabbed a road 'dog victory at Minnesota on April 10, turning in one of the best starts of his career by going 7.1 innings and allowing two earned runs in a 5-3 win. The righty has compiled just one quality start in five career outings against Seattle, while putting together a no-decision in his last trip to Safeco Field in 2009.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-28-2011, 07:02 PM

MLB

Thursday, April 28

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Boston - 7:05 PM ET Boston -176 500
Baltimore - Under 8.5 500

Chi. White Sox - 7:05 PM ET Chi. White Sox +183 500
NY Yankees - Over 9 500

Kansas City - 7:05 PM ET Kansas City +150 500
Cleveland - Over 8.5 500

NY Mets - 7:05 PM ET Washington -110 500
Washington - Under 8 500

St. Louis - 8:05 PM ET Houston +127 500
Houston - Over 8.5 500

Tampa Bay - 8:10 PM ET Tampa Bay +122 500
Minnesota - Over 7.5 500

Chi. Cubs - 9:40 PM ET Chi. Cubs -108 500
Arizona - Over 9.5 500

**StarDust Bum** · 04-28-2011, 07:26 PM

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record
04/27/11 3-*1-*0 75.00% +*1025 Detail
04/26/11 1-*5-*0 16.67% -*2145 Detail
04/25/11 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*50 Detail
04/24/11 3-*3-*0 50.00% -*150 Detail
04/23/11 2-*6-*0 25.00% -*2485 Detail
04/22/11 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*180 Detail
04/21/11 1-*5-*0 16.67% -*1790 Detail
04/20/11 4-*5-*1 44.44% -*725 Detail
04/19/11 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*150 Detail
04/18/11 4-*3-*1 57.14% +*345 Detail
04/17/11 3-*1-*2 75.00% +*1035 Detail
04/16/11 4-*4-*0 50.00% -*170 Detail
04/15/11 7-*1-*0 87.50% +*3085 Detail
04/14/11 5-*0-*1 100.00% +*3035 Detail
04/13/11 5-*4-*1 55.56% +*325 Detail
Totals 48-*44-*6 52.17% +1005

Thursday, April 28

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Nashville - 9:00 PM ET Nashville +172 500
Vancouver - Over 5 500

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