Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 5/12 (NBA, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

[Udog]

NHL


Thursday, May 12

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

9:00 PM
DETROIT vs. SAN JOSE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing on the road against San Jose
Detroit is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against San Jose
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Jose's last 5 games at home
San Jose is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games at home


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

[Udog]

NHL


Thursday, May 12

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Red Wings at Sharks: What bettors need to know
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Detroit Red Wings at San Jose Sharks (-135, 5.5)

Series tied 3-3

THE STORY: There is no lack of impressive accomplishments in the storied history of the Detroit Red Wings. They are now are just one step away from completing their most remarkable feat and taking a place beside the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, 1975 New York Islanders and 2010 Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL history book. The third-seeded Red Wings will attempt to become just the fourth team to overcome a 3-0 deficit when they face off against the second-seeded San Jose Sharks in Game 7 of their Western Conference semifinal series on Thursday. After beginning the matchup with three straight one-goal losses, Detroit has posted three consecutive dramatic victories to avoid elimination. San Jose is trying to keep from joining the 1942 Red Wings, 1975 Pittsburgh Penguins and 2010 Boston Bruins as the only teams to lose a series after owning a 3-0 lead.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, Versus, TSN, RDS, FSN Detroit, CSN California

ABOUT THE SHARKS: The conference semifinals have not been very kind to San Jose over the years. It squandered 3-2 series leads to Toronto in 1994 and the Colorado Avalanche in 2002, then lost four straight games to the Edmonton Oilers in 2006 after winning the first two. The Sharks will need a much better effort Thursday than the one they put forth in Game 6 if they hope to avoid the ultimate collapse. San Jose as outshot 18-6 in the first period and 32-13 over the first 40 minutes but remained in a scoreless tie, thanks only to the tremendous performance by Antti Niemi. Calder Trophy finalist Logan Couture even gave the Sharks the lead at 3:54 of the third period, giving him six points in the series. But for the second straight game, San Jose was unable to seal the deal, putting its plans for a second consecutive conference final appearance on hold. Tuesday's loss dropped the Sharks to 4-14 all-time in Game 6s, but the club is 4-2 in seventh games.

ABOUT THE RED WINGS: Fighting for their playoff lives, the Red Wings built a 3-0 lead in Game 4 and squandered it before Darren Helm scored with 1:27 remaining in the third period to keep them alive. Detroit then overcame a two-goal deficit in the third period of Game 5 to post a 4-3 victory and fell behind Tuesday before scoring twice in a span of 1:54 midway through the third en route to a 3-1 triumph. Valtteri Filppula, who entered without a point in the series, helped set up Henrik Zetterberg's tying goal and scored the game-winner with 7:28 remaining. Tuesday's comeback gave coach Mike Babcock his 70th career playoff win, tying him with Joel Quenneville for ninth place on the all-time list. Filling in for the injured Johan Franzen, Mike Modano played in just his second game this postseason. The veteran took three shots and won six of nine faceoffs in a team-low nine minutes of ice time. The Red Wings are 13-8 overall in Game 7s and 3-1 in seventh games in the second round since 1967.

WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk set up Filppula's goal, extending his point streak to seven games. Datsyuk has notched a point in each game of this series and nine of 10 contests this postseason. Zetterberg has two goals and five assists in the last five matches. Couture enters Game 7 with a three-game goal-scoring streak, but San Jose teammate Patrick Marleau has yet to record a point in the series. Captain Joe Thornton has just one assist in the last three games after registering four in the first three.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Neither team was able to break through on the power play in Game 6 as San Jose went 0-for-4 and Detroit 0-for-6. The Red Wings have converted 20.5 percent of their opportunities in the postseason while the Sharks have a 12.5 percent success rate. Detroit has successfully killed 76.7 percent of its penalties and San Jose has an 81.2 percent efficiency.

TRENDS:

* Home team is 5-2 in the last seven meetings.
* Red Wings are 5-11 in the last 16 meetings.
* Red Wings are 2-6 in the last eight meetings in San Jose.

LAST WORD: "Just ask Detroit. They lost three in a row and their confidence wasn't frayed. We're a confident group, still. You work 82 games to get home ice in these Game 7s. Now we just have to make it work." - Thornton on remaining positive despite wasting a 3-0 series lead.


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

[Udog]

NHL


Thursday, May 12

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

Detroit Red Wings at San Jose Sharks (-125, 5.5)

San Jose has lost its confidence.

"Just refocus. Get ready for Game 7 at home. Forget about tonight," San Jose captain Joe Thornton said after his team’s Game 6 defeat. "We didn’t play very well."

The Sharks have given up a startling 11 goals the past three games and have been dominated in the third period in each of those outings. Even more stunning is the disappearance of the team’s power play.

"Our power play can be better," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "Look at the people we put on the ice and the numbers they've put up the last three years. We need our power play. They'll be challenged to create at least little more momentum."

San Jose jumped out to a 3-0 thanks to the outstanding play of its man-up unit, going 4-for-15 with the man advantage to start the series. However, since going cold up a man, the team has struggled to put continual pressure on Detroit goaltender Jimmy Howard. As a result, he has been able to regain his confidence and make a few key saves late to keep his team in the series.

Following a Game 6 Detroit win that saw them outshoot the visitors 45-25, Howard was just trying to keep loose and in the game.

"(Niemi) was getting absolutely peppered down at the other end, just making save after save, and I was going through periods of time without seeing pucks," he said. "It was key for me to keep focusing on the puck no matter where it was on the ice surface, not losing sight of it. So when they had the opportunity, my mind was in the right place."

Thanks to San Jose’s power outage, he has had plenty of time to get himself right – and put the Sharks away.

Pick: Detroit


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

[Udog]

MLB
Dunkel


Thursday, May 12

LA Dodgers at Pittsburgh
The Pirates look to take advantage of a Dodgers team that is 0-5 in Jon Garland's last 5 road starts. Pittsburgh is the pick (-130) according to Dunkel, which has the Pirates favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-130). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, MAY 12

Game 901-902: St. Louis at Chicago Cubs (2:20 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Garcia) 16.390; Cubs (Coleman) 15.293
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-150); No Run Total
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-150); N/A

Game 903-904: Arizona at San Francisco (3:45 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Hudson) 15.536; San Francisco (Cain) 14.956
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-145); 7
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+125); Over

Game 905-906: LA Dodgers at Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Garland) 14.985; Pittsburgh (Morton) 15.805
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-130); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-130); Under

Game 907-908: Washington at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Zimmermann) 16.530; Atlanta (Lowe) 15.838
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-200); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+170); Over

Game 909-910: Tampa Bay at Cleveland (12:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Shields) 15.809; Cleveland (Masterson) 16.666
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-110); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-110); Over

Game 911-912: Kansas City at NY Yankees (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (O'Sullivan) 16.289; NY Yankees (Nova) 15.779
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-200); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+170); Under

Game 913-914: Seattle at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Vargas) 15.097; Baltimore (Britton) 14.111
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Baltimore (-150); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+130); Under

Game 915-916: NY Mets at Colorado (1:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Niese) 14.265; Colorado (Jimenez) 14.968
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Colorado (-180); 8
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-180); Over

[Udog]

MLB
Long Sheet


Thursday, May 12

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

ST LOUIS (21 - 16) at CHICAGO CUBS (16 - 19) - 2:20 PM
JAIME GARCIA (L) vs. CASEY COLEMAN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 53-56 (-30.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 106-92 (-21.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 45-54 (-18.8 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 47-45 (-24.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 104-91 (-22.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
GARCIA is 5-12 (-14.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHICAGO CUBS are 34-56 (-28.7 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 175-184 (-37.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 44-57 (-27.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 41-53 (-21.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 619-618 (-117.5 Units) against the money line in day games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 44-57 (-27.4 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 1-1 (+0.0 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

JAIME GARCIA vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
GARCIA is 0-1 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.333.
His team's record is 0-1 (-2.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

CASEY COLEMAN vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
COLEMAN is 1-0 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 2.57 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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

ARIZONA (15 - 20) at SAN FRANCISCO (20 - 16) - 3:45 PM
DANIEL HUDSON (R) vs. MATT CAIN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 30-67 (-27.4 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 9-34 (-22.0 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 18-39 (-17.3 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 78-117 (-31.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 80-118 (-29.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 115-68 (+29.8 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 122-89 (+25.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 88-67 (+16.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 123-91 (+24.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 125-85 (+42.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less since 1997.
CAIN is 13-2 (+10.5 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 28-10 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 47-28 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 4-1 (+2.9 Units) against ARIZONA this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.0 Units)

DANIEL HUDSON vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
HUDSON is 2-1 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 3.15 and a WHIP of 1.100.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.3 units)

MATT CAIN vs. ARIZONA since 1997
CAIN is 7-4 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 3.19 and a WHIP of 1.124.
His team's record is 10-8 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-10. (-4.3 units)

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

LA DODGERS (18 - 20) at PITTSBURGH (18 - 19) - 7:05 PM
JON GARLAND (R) vs. CHARLIE MORTON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 12-6 (+10.7 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
PITTSBURGH is 414-397 (+47.5 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 63-112 (-36.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 50-96 (-25.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 2-1 (+0.8 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.9 Units)

JON GARLAND vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
GARLAND is 2-2 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 2.25 and a WHIP of 1.333.
His team's record is 2-2 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-4. (-4.3 units)

CHARLIE MORTON vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
MORTON is 0-1 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.333.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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

WASHINGTON (18 - 18) at ATLANTA (20 - 18) - 7:10 PM
JORDAN ZIMMERMANN (R) vs. DEREK LOWE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LOWE is 10-17 (-10.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 3-2 (+3.0 Units) against ATLANTA this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.2 Units)

JORDAN ZIMMERMANN vs. ATLANTA since 1997
ZIMMERMANN is 2-1 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 2.65 and a WHIP of 1.059.
His team's record is 2-1 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

DEREK LOWE vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
LOWE is 9-7 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 3.37 and a WHIP of 1.235.
His team's record is 11-7 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-13. (-10.6 units)

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

TAMPA BAY (21 - 15) at CLEVELAND (23 - 12) - 12:05 PM
JAMES SHIELDS (R) vs. JUSTIN MASTERSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 35-54 (-22.0 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 23-12 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 14-3 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 23-12 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 16-8 (+9.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
TAMPA BAY is 55-33 (+18.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 36-19 (+16.1 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 12-5 (+8.8 Units) against the money line in road games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 1-1 (+0.0 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.1 Units)

JAMES SHIELDS vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
SHIELDS is 0-4 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 4.06 and a WHIP of 1.195.
His team's record is 1-5 (-5.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-2. (+0.9 units)

JUSTIN MASTERSON vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
MASTERSON is 1-3 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 6.37 and a WHIP of 1.517.
His team's record is 1-4 (-3.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+1.0 units)

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

KANSAS CITY (19 - 17) at NY YANKEES (20 - 14) - 7:05 PM
SEAN O'SULLIVAN (R) vs. IVAN NOVA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
O'SULLIVAN is 16-10 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
O'SULLIVAN is 13-6 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 1-1 (+1.0 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

SEAN O'SULLIVAN vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
O'SULLIVAN is 1-2 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 6.06 and a WHIP of 1.347.
His team's record is 1-2 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-3. (-3.5 units)

IVAN NOVA vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
No recent starts.

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

SEATTLE (16 - 21) at BALTIMORE (16 - 19) - 7:05 PM
JASON VARGAS (L) vs. ZACH BRITTON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 17-43 (-24.7 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 41-80 (-37.4 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 60-113 (-45.3 Units) against the money line in road games after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997.
SEATTLE is 27-48 (-23.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 78-121 (-39.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 75-115 (-38.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 42-42 (+15.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 118-119 (-45.4 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 282-398 (-112.9 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 2-0 (+2.2 Units) against SEATTLE this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

JASON VARGAS vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
VARGAS is 1-1 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 2.35 and a WHIP of 1.261.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-0. (+4.0 units)

ZACH BRITTON vs. SEATTLE since 1997
No recent starts.

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

NY METS (16 - 20) at COLORADO (19 - 15) - 3:10 PM
JON NIESE (L) vs. UBALDO JIMENEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 40-43 (-20.2 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 5-1 (+3.7 Units) against NY METS this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.8 Units)

JON NIESE vs. COLORADO since 1997
NIESE is 0-2 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 5.55 and a WHIP of 1.521.
His team's record is 0-4 (-4.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-3. (-2.3 units)

UBALDO JIMENEZ vs. NY METS since 1997
JIMENEZ is 2-2 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 2.50 and a WHIP of 1.083.
His team's record is 2-3 (-2.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-1. (+3.0 units)

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

[Udog]

MLB
Write-Up


Thursday, May 12

Hot pitchers
-- Garcia is 4-0, 2.98 in seven starts this season.
-- DHudson is 3-0, 2.70 in his last three starts.
-- Garland is 1-1, 2.57 in his last four starts. Morton is 2-0, 2.84 in his last three outings.
-- Lowe is 1-0, 3.17 in his last three starts.

-- Shields is 3-0, 1.13 in his last five starts. Masterson is 5-0, 2.30 in seven starts this season.
-- O'Sullivan is 2-1, 2.52 in four starts this season. Nova is 2-0, 1.80 in his last three outings.
-- Vargas is 2-0, 3.07 in his last two starts. Britton is 3-1, 3.09 in his last four starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Coleman is 0-2, 7.90 in his last three starts.
-- Cain is 0-2, 5.32 in his last four starts.
-- Colorado is 0-5 when Jimenez starts (0-2, 5.88). Niese is 1-4, 5.40 in his last six starts.
-- Zimmerman is 1-3, 5.92 in his last four starts.

-- None

Totals
-- Under is 8-3 in Cubs' last eleven games.
-- Under is 8-1-2 in last eleven Arizona games.
-- Eight of last ten Dodger games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last seven Atlanta home games went over the total.
-- Under is 10-3 in last thirteen Colorado games.

-- Over is 8-2-1 in Cleveland's last eleven home games.
-- Six of Royals' last seven games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Seattle games stayed under the total.

Hot teams
-- Cardinals won five of their last seven road games.
-- Giants won their last five games, allowing eight runs.
-- Dodgers won three of their last four games.
-- Washington won four of its last five games.

-- Indians won 14 of their last 15 home games. Rays won nine of their last ten games on foreign soil.
-- Bronx won 10 of its last 15 home games.
-- Orioles won last two games, after losing six of previous seven.

Cold teams
-- Cubs are 3-8 in their last eleven home games.
-- Rockies lost five of their last six games. Mets are 5-8 in their last 13 road games.
-- Arizona lost four of its last five games.
-- Pirates lost their last two games, scoring three runs.
-- Braves lost three of their last four games.

-- Royals lost four of their last five road games.
-- Mariners lost their last four games, scoring ten runs.

[Udog]

MLB


Thursday, May 12

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

12:05 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games when playing Cleveland
Tampa Bay is 3-19 SU in its last 22 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
Cleveland is 19-3 SU in its last 22 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay

2:20 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. CHI CUBS
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 11 of St. Louis's last 15 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Chi Cubs's last 7 games when playing St. Louis
Chi Cubs are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games when playing St. Louis

3:10 PM
NY METS vs. COLORADO
NY Mets are 6-12-1 SU in its last 19 games ,when playing on the road against Colorado
NY Mets are 2-4-1 SU in its last 7 games ,on the road
Colorado5-1-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing NY Mets
Colorado is 2-3-1 SU in its last 6 games ,at home

3:45 PM
ARIZONA vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arizona's last 5 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
Arizona is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Francisco's last 5 games when playing at home against Arizona
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of San Francisco's last 9 games when playing Arizona

7:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. BALTIMORE
Seattle is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
Seattle is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Baltimore's last 6 games when playing Seattle
Baltimore is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Seattle

7:05 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. NY YANKEES
Kansas City is 3-8 SU in their last 11 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Kansas City's last 5 games
NY Yankees are 8-3 SU in their last 11 games when playing at home against Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 6 games when playing Kansas City

7:05 PM
LA DODGERS vs. PITTSBURGH
LA Dodgers are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 18 of Pittsburgh's last 25 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games when playing LA Dodgers

7:10 PM
WASHINGTON vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing Washington
Atlanta is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home


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

[Udog]

MLB


Thursday, May 12

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MLB betting: Two "homer" umpires to target
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We aren't saying that some umpires intentionally give home teams an edge, but sometimes the numbers speak for themselves.

That's why we're all about officials stats. Sure it's still early in the season, but it looks like it's time to start targeting at least a couple masked men behind the plate, guys that always seem to give visiting clubs a hard time.

Last season only nine umpires who worked at least seven games behind the plate saw the home team win at least 70 percent of their games. That’s fairly significant considering 86 guys called balls and strikes in at least one game in 2010.

Marty Foster checked in at fifth on that list with home teams winning 72 percent of his games (18-7) while Ted Barrett was ninth at 70.6 percent (24-10).

So far it doesn’t look like much has changed for those two umps.

Foster and Barrett have both watched the home team come out on top in six of their seven games (85.7 percent) this season.

Umpire crews usually work in a clockwise direction - meaning if Umpire A is at first base for Game 1 of a series, he's usually behind the plate for Game 2 and at third for Game 3. Still best to check it out when umpire assignments are released about an hour before the opening pitch.

OVER/UNDER UMPIRES UPDATE: Two of the three umpires we targeted in this brief for over bettors earlier this season are still hammering that trend. Dale Scott and Sam Holbrook sit tied for first and second respectively in MLB over statistics.


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

[Udog]

MLB


Thursday, May 12

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

Tampa Bay Rays at Cleveland Indians (-110, 7.5)

The Cleveland Indians have been forced to overcome a lot early this season and have handled all their adversity admirably. They lead the MLB money standings, shocking many baseball bettors but Indians supporters are crossing their fingers with Grady Sizemore scheduled for an MRI Wednesday evening.

The good news is that the test is for his left knee – not his surgically-repaired right knee.

"Our medical staff doesn't think it's anything serious," Cleveland manger Manny Acta told reporters. "But for peace of mind, we're just taking some precautions with him. It was scheduled from yesterday just to give him some peace of mind because of what he has gone through with the other knee.”

Cleveland will miss his bat if he’s hobbled for any length of time. Since returning to action on April 17, Sizemore has six homers and 11 RBIs in 18 games to go along with a .282 batting average.

However, the Indians may be in tough against James Shields with or without Sizemore. Shields boasts a 0.74 ERA over his last three trips to the hill.

Pick: Rays



St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs (+135, N/A)

The first series between the Cardinals and Cubs of 2011 has been a weird one.

To begin with, this is the first time former-Cub Ryan Theriot is back at Wrigley wearing enemy colors, but that was just the beginning of it.

Then there was the sight of Cubs GM hugging Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols not once, but twice while the two teams were hanging around the batting cage on Tuesday. Cubs and Cardinals just don’t get down like that and the scene sent conspiracy theorists in action, wondering if Chicago would make a play for the pending free agent.

Later the same day, news came down that St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa would leave the team and may be away for a while after being diagnosed with shingles. Then on Wednesday, the Cubs lost starting catcher Geovany Soto to the 15-day DL with a groin injury.

The madness wraps up with a Thursday matinee and after a tough start, we like how Cubs youngster Casey Coleman is throwing the ball lately. Chicago’s worth a look at this price.

Pick: Cubs


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

[Udog]

MLB
Short Sheet


Thursday, May 12

National League

ST LOUIS at CHICAGO CUBS, 2:20 PM ET WGN
GARCIA: STL 11-2 off BB Overs
COLEMAN: CUBS 8-16 after scoring 10+ runs

ARIZONA at SAN FRANCISCO, 3:45 PM ET
HUDSON: ARIZONA 2-14 Away off BB Away division losses
CAIN: 13-2 TSR as a home favorite of -125 to -150

LA DODGERS at PITTSBURGH, 7:05 PM ET
GARLAND: 60-32 Under off BB team wins
MORTON: PITTSBURGH 12-6 off a loss

WASHINGTON at ATLANTA, 7:10 PM ET
ZIMMERMANN: WASHINGTON 18-8 Over vs. righties
LOWE: 10-17 TSR in night games

American League

TAMPA BAY at CLEVELAND, 12:05 PM ET MLB
SHIELDS: 1-5 TSR vs. Cleveland
MASTERSON: CLEVELAND 12-0 off BB home games

KANSAS CITY at NY YANKEES, 7:05 PM ET MLB
O'SULLIVAN: KC 8-33 after allowing 3 runs or less BB games
NOVA: YANKEES 39-9 at home off BB Unders

SEATTLE at BALTIMORE, 7:05 PM ET MLB
VARGAS: SEATTLE 17-43 vs. lefties
BRITTON: BALTIMORE 37-17 as home favorite

Write-In Game

NY METS at COLORADO, 3:10 PM ET
NIESE: METS 9-22 off one-run win
JIMENEZ: COLORADO 9-1 Over in day games

** (TC) Denotes Time Change