Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 4/28 (NBA, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

[Udog]

MLB
Long Sheet


Thursday, April 28

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SAN FRANCISCO (11 - 12) at PITTSBURGH (11 - 13) - 12:35 PM
RYAN VOGELSONG (R) vs. JEFF KARSTENS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 33-26 (+14.7 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 56-48 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 113-85 (+20.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 147-117 (+25.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 19-7 (+13.1 Units) against the money line after getting shut out over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 95-65 (+28.1 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 114-87 (+19.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 45-92 (-28.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 58-107 (-37.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 1-1 (+0.0 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

RYAN VOGELSONG vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
No recent starts.

JEFF KARSTENS vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
KARSTENS is 0-1 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 15.00 and a WHIP of 2.333.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

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NY METS (11 - 13) at WASHINGTON (10 - 13) - 7:05 PM
CHRIS CAPUANO (L) vs. LIVAN HERNANDEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 42-80 (-32.4 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 17-8 (+9.4 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 87-149 (-40.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 3-2 (+0.1 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
5 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+5.1 Units)

CHRIS CAPUANO vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
CAPUANO is 2-2 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 4.01 and a WHIP of 1.188.
His team's record is 2-3 (-1.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.3 units)

LIVAN HERNANDEZ vs. NY METS since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 13-14 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 4.11 and a WHIP of 1.435.
His team's record is 22-16 (+9.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 16-21. (-7.0 units)

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ST LOUIS (13 - 11) at HOUSTON (9 - 15) - 8:05 PM
KYLE MCCLELLAN (R) vs. NELSON FIGUEROA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 47-48 (-20.4 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 48-53 (-32.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 98-87 (-24.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 41-52 (-21.3 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 43-43 (-26.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 96-86 (-24.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 27-35 (-15.9 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 34-24 (+14.0 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 49-40 (+19.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 1-1 (+0.2 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.1 Units)

KYLE MCCLELLAN vs. HOUSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

NELSON FIGUEROA vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
FIGUEROA is 1-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 5.54 and a WHIP of 1.577.
His team's record is 2-3 (-0.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-2. (+0.8 units)

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CHICAGO CUBS (10 - 13) at ARIZONA (10 - 13) - 9:40 PM
RYAN DEMPSTER (R) vs. BARRY ENRIGHT (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 41-47 (-20.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 86-100 (-20.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 338-374 (-90.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 124-146 (-43.6 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 86-100 (-20.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 121-132 (-30.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
DEMPSTER is 75-61 (+18.7 Units) against the money line after a loss since 1997. (Team's Record)
ARIZONA is 19-41 (-23.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 75-111 (-27.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 60-87 (-27.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.
ARIZONA is 577-507 (-71.4 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
ARIZONA is 73-110 (-29.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 2-1 (+0.4 Units) against ARIZONA this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)

RYAN DEMPSTER vs. ARIZONA since 1997
DEMPSTER is 2-7 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 6.24 and a WHIP of 1.626.
His team's record is 4-10 (-5.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-11. (-9.2 units)

BARRY ENRIGHT vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
ENRIGHT is 0-1 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 1.542.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.2 units)

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SEATTLE (10 - 15) at DETROIT (12 - 12) - 1:05 PM
MICHAEL PINEDA (R) vs. BRAD PENNY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 72-115 (-40.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 17-41 (-25.8 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 69-109 (-38.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 50-24 (+19.2 Units) against the money line in home games in day games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 3-2 (+1.9 Units) against DETROIT this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.0 Units)

MICHAEL PINEDA vs. DETROIT since 1997
No recent starts.

BRAD PENNY vs. SEATTLE since 1997
PENNY is 0-1 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 5.25 and a WHIP of 1.417.
His team's record is 0-2 (-3.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

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CHI WHITE SOX (10 - 15) at NY YANKEES (13 - 8) - 7:05 PM
EDWIN JACKSON (R) vs. C.C. SABATHIA (L)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 2-1 (+2.0 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.0 Units)

EDWIN JACKSON vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
JACKSON is 2-5 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 4.81 and a WHIP of 1.518.
His team's record is 3-8 (-2.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-5. (+0.9 units)

C.C. SABATHIA vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
SABATHIA is 16-4 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 3.82 and a WHIP of 1.253.
His team's record is 20-9 (+10.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 12-16. (-5.6 units)

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TAMPA BAY (12 - 11) at MINNESOTA (9 - 13) - 1:10 PM
JEREMY HELLICKSON (R) vs. SCOTT BAKER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 55-38 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 49-32 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 31-18 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 33-15 (+15.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 4-1 (+2.8 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.9 Units)

JEREMY HELLICKSON vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
HELLICKSON is 1-1 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 3.86 and a WHIP of 0.929.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.1 units)

SCOTT BAKER vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
BAKER is 2-2 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 2.95 and a WHIP of 0.958.
His team's record is 3-3 (+0.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-5. (-5.4 units)

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TORONTO (11 - 13) at TEXAS (15 - 9) - 2:05 PM
BRANDON MORROW (R) vs. ALEXI OGANDO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 96-91 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 51-35 (+22.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 79-65 (+18.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 51-45 (+14.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 2-1 (+2.0 Units) against TEXAS this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.0 Units)

BRANDON MORROW vs. TEXAS since 1997
MORROW is 2-1 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 5.06 and a WHIP of 1.625.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+1.1 units)

ALEXI OGANDO vs. TORONTO since 1997
No recent starts.

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BOSTON (10 - 13) at BALTIMORE (10 - 12) - 7:05 PM
JON LESTER (L) vs. BRADLEY BERGESEN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 88-80 (-19.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 39-39 (+15.2 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 281-394 (-110.1 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 2-0 (+2.4 Units) against BOSTON this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

JON LESTER vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
LESTER is 13-0 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 2.33 and a WHIP of 1.286.
His team's record is 15-1 (+13.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-5. (+1.7 units)

BRADLEY BERGESEN vs. BOSTON since 1997
BERGESEN is 2-3 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 3.32 and a WHIP of 1.316.
His team's record is 2-4 (-0.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-2. (+1.8 units)

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KANSAS CITY (12 - 12) at CLEVELAND (15 - 8) - 7:05 PM
KYLE DAVIES (R) vs. FAUSTO CARMONA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 15-8 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 9-2 (+8.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 15-8 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 10-3 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CLEVELAND is 11-3 (+10.1 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
DAVIES is 18-5 (+19.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 4-2 (+1.9 Units) against KANSAS CITY this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.0 Units)

KYLE DAVIES vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
DAVIES is 3-5 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 5.47 and a WHIP of 1.608.
His team's record is 3-7 (-3.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-5. (-0.6 units)

FAUSTO CARMONA vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
CARMONA is 5-4 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 4.62 and a WHIP of 1.577.
His team's record is 8-5 (+1.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-8. (-3.3 units)

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TAMPA BAY (12 - 11) at MINNESOTA (9 - 13) - 8:10 PM
JEFF NIEMANN (R) vs. SCOTT BAKER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 26-5 (+19.3 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 55-38 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 49-32 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 33-15 (+15.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
NIEMANN is 16-6 (+10.3 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 4-1 (+2.8 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.9 Units)

JEFF NIEMANN vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
NIEMANN is 2-0 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 3.42 and a WHIP of 1.291.
His team's record is 4-0 (+4.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.1 units)

SCOTT BAKER vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
BAKER is 2-2 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 2.95 and a WHIP of 0.958.
His team's record is 3-3 (+0.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-5. (-5.4 units)

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[Udog]

MLB
Write-Up


Thursday, April 28

Hot pitchers
-- Hernandez is 2-1, 1.80 in three home starts.
-- McClellan is 2-0, 1.89 in his last three starts.

-- Pineda is 3-0, 1.40 in his last three starts. Penny is 1-0, 1.98 in two home starts.
-- Sabathia is 1-1, 2.70 in his last four starts.
-- Lester is 2-0, 1.39 in his last four starts.
-- Carmona is 1-0, 1.29 in his last couple home starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Karstens has a 6.10 RA in his first two '11 starts. Vogelsong is in big leagues for first time in five years; his last start was 2004, when he was 6-13, 6.50 in 26 starts for the Pirates.
-- Capuano has a 5.79 RA in three starts, all at home.
-- Figueroa is 0-3, 10.80 in four starts this season.
-- Dempster is 1-2, 7.92 in five starts this season. Enright is 0-2, 6.65 in four starts this season.

-- Jackson is 0-2, 7.79 in his last three starts.
-- Blackburn is 0-3, 5.21 in his last three starts. Swarzak is 1-1, 4.87 in four AAA starts this year; he was 3-7, 6.25 in 12 starts in '09, his only major league action so far. Hellickson is 1-2, 4.32 in four starts so far in 2011. Niemann is 0-3, 8.41 in his four starts.
-- Bergesen is 0-3, 7.98 in three starts this season.
-- Davies is 1-1, 6.58 in five starts this season.

Totals
-- Six of last nine San Francisco games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Washington games went over the total.
-- Eight of last nine Cardinal road games went over the total.
-- All four Enright starts went over the total.

-- All four Pineda starts stayed under the total.
-- Under is 9-2-2 in last thirteen White Sox games.
-- Three of four Blackburn starts stayed under total.
-- Five of last six Texas games went over the total.
-- Under is 3-0-1 in Lester's last four starts.
-- Over is 7-3-1 in last eleven Cleveland games.

Hot teams
-- Mets won their last six games, allowing seventeen runs.
-- Cardinals won five of their last seven games.
-- Arizona won three of its last four home games.

-- Seattle won its last three road games, outscoring foes 20-6. Tigers won four of their last six games.
-- Bronx Bombers won eight of their last twelve games.
-- Tampa Bay won 11 of its last 14 games.
-- Rangers won eleven of their fifteen home games.
-- Red Sox won eight of their last eleven games.

Cold teams
-- San Francisco lost five of its last six games.
-- Nationals lost six of their last seven games.
-- Cubs lost five of their last six games.

-- White Sox lost twelve of their last sixteen games.
-- Orioles lost 11 of their last 15 games.
-- Royals lost seven of their last nine games.

[Udog]

MLB


Thursday, April 28

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Trend Report
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12:35 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. PITTSBURGH
San Francisco is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Francisco's last 9 games
Pittsburgh is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against San Francisco
Pittsburgh is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games at home

1:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. DETROIT
Seattle is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Seattle is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games

1:10 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 18 of Tampa Bay's last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 9 games at home

2:05 PM
TORONTO vs. TEXAS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games on the road
Texas is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Texas's last 6 games at home

7:05 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. NY YANKEES
Chi White Sox are 5-14 SU in their last 19 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
Chi White Sox are 3-11 SU in their last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 6 games
NY Yankees are 9-4 SU in their last 13 games when playing Chi White Sox

7:05 PM
NY METS vs. WASHINGTON
NY Mets are 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
NY Mets are 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against NY Mets
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games when playing at home against NY Mets

7:05 PM
BOSTON vs. BALTIMORE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games
Boston is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
Baltimore is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games
Baltimore is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston

7:05 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Kansas City's last 6 games on the road
Kansas City is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing at home against Kansas City
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Kansas City

8:05 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone OVER in 10 of St. Louis's last 14 games
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 7 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against St. Louis

8:10 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. MINNESOTA
Tampa Bay5-1-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Tampa Bay4-1-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 4-7-1 SU in its last 12 games ,at home
Minnesota is 1-4-1 SU in its last 6 games ,when playing at home against Tampa Bay

9:40 PM
CHI CUBS vs. ARIZONA
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Chi Cubs's last 10 games when playing Arizona
Chi Cubs are 15-7 SU in their last 22 games on the road
Arizona is 12-6 SU in their last 18 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
Arizona is 1-8 SU in their last 9 games when playing Chi Cubs


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[Udog]

MLB


Thursday, April 28

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Hot lines: Thursday's best MLB bets
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Chicago Cubs at Arizona Diamondbacks (-120, 9.5)

Ryan Roberts, Stephen Drew and Justin Upton are all off to great starts at the dish for the Diamondbacks and they had better pray that continues. Otherwise, this Arizona team could be in big trouble.

Arizona went into Wednesday’s game riding high after taking its first two games of the series against the powerful Phillies, while owning the eighth best scoring offense in the league.

"You're fortunate to beat a team like that, and Wednesday they'll be very motivated to not let us sweep them," manager Kirk Gibson told reporters after Tuesday’s 7-5 win. "We need to go on a run. That's what good teams do, and it's pretty tough business (against) these guys."

Gibson could make some cash on the side as a fortune teller with Arizona taking a beating from the Phillies in Game 3. Right now the Diamondbacks are allowing about 4.91 runs per game – 28th in the show and Chicago’s offense will benefit from a day off after Wednesday’s rain-out.

Pick: Over



San Francisco Giants at Pittsburgh Pirates (-110, 8.5)

It’s been a long road for Ryan Vogelsong, who takes the hill for the Giants against his former team, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pittsburgh acquired Vogelsong in a trade that sent Jason Schmidt to San Francisco way back in 2001 in a deal that ended up being terribly one-sided in San Fran’s favor.

Vogelsong struggled before undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2003 and wasn’t much better after that, essentially pitching himself out of the bigs by the end of the 2006 season. He didn’t pitch in the majors again until last Sunday, but now he has a chance to face his old team on Thursday.

"I'm a little bit more mature," Vogelsong told reporters. "I'm able to think in certain situations instead of just throwing. I could always figure stuff out before, but maybe it was two or three hitters late -- or an inning late. I think I'm able to concentrate a little bit better and make adjustments on the fly."

The 33-year-old hasn’t allowed a run in 4 2/3 innings so far this year and we bet he’ll have a little extra in the tank on Thursday.

Pick: Giants


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[Udog]

MLB
Short Sheet


Thursday, April 28

National League

SAN FRANCISCO at PITTSBURGH, 12:35 PM ET
VOGELSONG: SAN FRANCISCO 95-65 after a loss
KARSTENS: PITTSBURGH 45-92 vs. right-handed starters

NY METS at WASHINGTON, 7:05 PM ET
CAPUANO: NY METS 17-8 after 3 or more consecutive wins
HERNANDEZ: WASHINGTON 24-45 in home games after having lost 3 of their last 4 games

ST LOUIS at HOUSTON, 8:05 PM ET
MCCLELLAN: ST LOUIS 17-25 as a road favorite of -125 or more
FIGUEROA: HOUSTON 34-24 as a home underdog of +100 to +125

CHICAGO CUBS at ARIZONA, 9:40 PM ET
DEMPSTER: 9-0 OVER when the total is 9 to 9.5
ENRIGHT: ARIZONA 33-21 OVER against NL Central opponents

American League

SEATTLE at DETROIT, 1:05 PM ET
PINEDA: SEATTLE 17-41 against the money line in day games
PENNY: DETROIT 50-24 against the money line in home day games

CHI WHITE SOX at NY YANKEES, 7:05 PM ET
JACKSON: CHI WHITE SOX 97-55 UNDER when the total is 9 to 9.5
SABATHIA: NY YANKEES 38-9 at home after 2 or more consecutive unders

TAMPA BAY at MINNESOTA, 1:10 PM ET - ** Doubleheader Game #1
HELLICKSON: TAMPA BAY 31-18 against the money line Away after a win
BLACKBURN: MINNESOTA 20-34 against AL East opponents

TORONTO at TEXAS, 2:05 PM ET
MORROW: TORONTO 80-55 when the total is 8.5 to 10
OGANDO: TEXAS 37-20 OVER in home games after 4 or more consecutive overs

BOSTON at BALTIMORE, 7:05 PM ET
LESTER: BOSTON 7-12 as a favorite
BERGESEN: BALTIMORE 23-17 after having won 2 of their last 3 games

KANSAS CITY at CLEVELAND, 7:05 PM ET
DAVIES: 24-22 TSR as an underdog
CARMONA: CLEVELAND 15-32 after 2 straight games where they committed no errors

Write-In Game

TAMPA BAY at MINNESOTA, 8:10 PM ET - ** Doubleheader Game #2
NIEMANN: 16-6 TSR in road games in night games
BAKER: 24-9 TSR when the money line is -100 to -150

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

[Udog]

NBA
Write-Up


Thursday, April 28

Under is 13-6 in Eastern games so far, 12-7 in Western games; favorites are 7-11-1 vs spread out west, 5-12-2 in the East.

Hawks won six of last eight games against Orlando, covering last eight of last nine in series, with eight of nine staying under total. Magic is 7-16 vs spread in last 23 games as favorite- they were 11-26 from arc in Game 5, after being 21-95 (22%) in series before that. Howard had only eight points, eight boards last game; his teammates stepped up for first time in series. Atlanta's starters were 15-45 from floor in Game 5.

Lakers won seven of last nine games vs Hornets, are 3-2 in this series; New Orleans had 16-14-17 turnovers in its three series losses, 3-10 in the wins- Paul had triple/double in both wins. Lakers are 7-12 against spread in their last 19 games as a favorite. Laker bench was a combined +48 in 78:23 of play in Game 5. Hornets got crushed despite making 10 of 21 from arc- they had only three offensive rebounds, after averaging nine a game in first four series games. Only one of five series games has been decided by less than nine points.

Home side won all nine Portland-Dallas games, with Blazers covering five of nine. Roy had just five points in 26:09 in Game 5, after being the difference maker in Games 3-4 here. Mavericks took 35 FTs in Game 5, after taking 10 in Game 4, and 29-26-23 in first three games; they are 8-1 vs spread in last nine games overall, covering all five games in this series. Dallas was just 3-17 from arc in Game 5, after going 37-86 in Games 1-4.

[Udog]

NHL
Write-Up


Thursday, April 28

Nashville has been off since Sunday after winning its first playoff series ever Sunday; quick turnaround for Vancouver, which won Game 7 in OT over Chicago Tuesday, its second straight OT game. Two teams split their four meetings this season, with four goals the most scored in any of the games; both teams split in the other's building. Canucks are 0-8 with man advantage the last three games; Preds were 6-27 in their series.

[Udog]

NHL
Long Sheet


Thursday, April 28

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NASHVILLE (48-29-0-11, 107 pts.) at VANCOUVER (58-21-0-10, 126 pts.) - 4/28/2011, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 58-31 ATS (+58.0 Units) in all games this season.
VANCOUVER is 34-16 ATS (+6.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NASHVILLE is 48-40 ATS (+3.1 Units) in all games this season.
NASHVILLE is 22-15 ATS (+6.5 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
NASHVILLE is 24-23 ATS (+59.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 73-91 ATS (-41.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 1-10 ATS (-14.8 Units) in home games in the second round of the playoffs since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
VANCOUVER is 7-5-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
9 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+5.2 Units)

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[Udog]

Thursday's six-pack

-- Under is 25-13 so far in NBA playoffs; underdogs are 23-12-3.

-- AL teams are batting .307 with bases loaded; NL teams .280.

-- MLB teams are batting .257 in day games, .246 at night.

-- Cubs are worst in the major leagues with a 5.50 ERA in day games, which is bad since......well, since they play the most day games.

-- On the bright side for the Cubs, the #1 spot in their batting order has reached base 52.7% of time; no other team is better than 39.3%.

-- NHL home teams won Game 7 OT games the last two nights, after losing the previous seven times before that.


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

13) Gary Neal went to Towson State; he made $525,000 this season and earned every penny of it Wednesday by draining the game-tying trey in San Antonio's season-saving OT win over Memphis, which should have fouled knee when he dribbled before his shot. Fun game to watch.

12) Las Vegas restaurant recommendation; Battista's behind Wild Bill's on Flamingo. Really good Italian food. Had great time there with my buddy Mike, who lives here half the year. If you come to Vegas, go there.

11) Dodgers sold 10,000 less season tickets this year than four years ago.

10) Matt Holliday is hitting .429 with a 1.221 OPS; did I mention he's had an appendectomy since the season started, but didn't go on the DL?

9) Golden State Warriors went 36-46 this year, ten more wins than they had last year, but they fired Keith Smart anyway; interesting to see what big name coach the new owners bring in next season, or did they just want to save cash by not paying a coach during the expected long lockout?

8) Roy Oswalt took an indefinite leave from the Phillies to look after his family, which lives in Mississippi, near the area devastated by storms this week. He might miss a start, but probably only one.

7) You watch the Oklahoma City Thunder play and you feel bad for the people of Seattle, since the Thunder are the old SuperSonics, who were supported very well by their fans for 40+ years. David Stern shouldn't have let the Sonics move on his watch, but once again, greed won out.

6) 76ers haven't won a playoff series since 2003; Knicks haven't won one since 2001.

5) When you see Ozzie Guillen get tossed in first inning of a game after he won the two nights before that, and you have to think he has history with the home plate umpire, Todd Tichenor. Weird.

4) Cleveland's #9 hitters are batting .329 with a .393 OB%.

3) Ilinois' basketball team is taking an August trip to Italy; these trips are often very good for team chemistry.

2) Angels' pitchers lead MLB, allowing a .197 BA after the 7th inning. On the other end of the spectrum are the Astros, whose pitchers are allowing a .319 batting average after the sixth inning.

1) Wednesday night proved once again that the best drama in playoffs of any pro sport is in the NHL. Tremendous drama.

[Udog]

NHL
Short Sheet


Thursday, April 28

Western Conference Playoffs - Second Round , Game 1
NASHVILLE at VANCOUVER, 9:05 PM ET
NASHVILLE: 23-10 SU after scoring 3+ goals BB games
VANCOUVER: 2-9 SU in 2nd round home playoff games

** (TC) Denotes Time Change