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**Udog** · 04-06-2012, 08:28 AM

Friday’s betting tips: Under bets dominating MLB play

Weather to watch

Minnesota Twins at Baltimore Orioles: Early forecasts predict 19-20 mph winds blowing in from center field at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Who’s hot

NBA: San Antonio has covered in 10 of its last 13.

NBA: The under is 6-0 in Memphis’ last six.

MLB: Arizona has won each of Ian Kennedy’s last eight home starts.

NHL: The under is 4-0 in the Phoenix Coyotes’ last four.

Who’s not

NBA: Denver has covered only one of its last six home games.

NBA: Cleveland is 1-7 against the spread in its last eight.

MLB: The over is riding an 11-36-5 slump when the Los Angeles Angels have Jered Weaver on the hill.

NHL: St. Louis has won just two of its last seven.

Key stat

570 – The San Francisco Giants finished last in the NL with 570 runs scored last season, helping them play under the total 85 times – second most in the majors. Manager Bruce Bochey has stressed consistently that the Giants will be more aggressive offensively this season now that catcher Buster Posey has returned from his leg injury and with newcomers Melky Cabrera and Angel Pagan at the top of the order. The Giants opened as a +105 underdog with Tim Lincecum on the hill in Arizona.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

D.J. Augustin, Charlotte Bobcats: Augustin left Wednesday’s game in the first half with a sore left knee and didn’t return. His status for Friday’s matchup with Milwaukee is questionable. The Bucks, who have lost nine straight, are set as big 13-point underdogs. Augustin averages 10.9 points and 6.2 assists per game.

Game of the day

New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays (115, 7)

Notable quotable

"That's three games in a row. We're going to have to figure some things out like lineup changes. That's not good enough. If we're going to have any chance of winning a division, or any chance of winning our next two games, we have to play better as a group." – Phoenix Coyotes coach Dave Tippett ripping his team after goaltender Mike Smith bailed the club out with a 54-save shutout over Columbus. Smith has three straight shutouts under his belt heading into Friday’s date with St. Louis. The Coyotes, set as +150 underdogs, went into Thursday’s action holding down the seventh spot in the Western Conference.

Notes and tips

Sharp baseball bettors often give unders a long look early in the MLB season. Pitchers often have a jump on hitters coming out of spring training and that, combined with cool temperatures, sometimes make runs hard to come by. This year that strategy is paying off handsomely. The under is 8-2 so far this year, including last week’s games in Japan.

Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters following Thursday's shootaround that superstar center Dwight Howard asked team management to fire him. Van Gundy cited conversations with members of team management as his evidence. "I know he has. That's just the way it is," Van Gundy said. "Again, I've been dealing with that all year. It's not anything real bothersome. You go out and do your job." Howard, who has denied the accusation, changed his mind on several occasions before agreeing to sign a waiver on his opt-out clause for the summer. He will remain under contract through 2013. The 26-year-old Howard is averaging 20.9 points and 14.5 rebounds in 52 games this season.

The Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints will kick off the 2012 preseason by meeting in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 5. During Week 1 of preseason, Green Bay Packers will visit the San Diego Chargers on Aug. 9 and the Dallas Cowboys will travel to Oakland to face the Raiders on Aug. 13. The New York Giants will host the Chicago Bears on Aug. 24 in their first nationally televised game since defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.

**Udog** · 04-06-2012, 08:28 AM

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

-- Blue Jays scored three in 9th to tie game, then won it 7-4 in the 16th, the longest Opening Day game in major league history.

-- Marlins got blanked 4-0, have scored only two runs in two games.

-- Detroit beat the Red Sox 3-2, despite Jose Valverde blowing his first save since 2010. Austin Jackson had the game-winning hit.

-- Andres Torres lasted six innings as the Mets' CF, pulling a calf muscle chasing after Tyler Pastornicky's triple. He's on the DL already.

-- In 1992-93, Orlando assistant coach Mark Price was 289-305 from the foul line, making 94.8% of his foul shots. Dwight Howard missed 18 foul shots in one game this season.

-- The Howard/Stan Van Gundy drama is what is hideous about the NBA. Fact of the matter is, star players can get a coach fired. Carmelo Anthony did it in New York by not trying hard enough. Its not good.

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

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

13) The real world doesn't have enough holidays; have to make some of our own, and Opening Day is one of those, though this is a half-day holiday. Get some fast food, watch some ball and its a good afternoon.

12) No New York Met lefty hitter has homered to left field at Citi Field. With the new shorter fences, Ike Davis should get one this year.

11) Adam Dunn's seven HRs, 19 RBI on Opening Day are the most of any active major leaguer.

10) There are 25 guys on a major league roster; if you take away the Pirates' six highest paid players, the rest of the team is making a combined $15M this season. AJ Burnett is making $16.5M himself in 2012.

9) Bill Murray threw out the first ball at Wrigley Field Thursday, but not before he ran around the bases and then slid into home plate.

8) UConn lost its appeal and will be ineligible for both NCAA tournament and Big East tournament next season, which could spell the end of a career for Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun. Looks like players will be able to go to another school and play next season, so they will jump ship.

7) West Virginia is gone from the Big East, UConn is headed downward, and Pitt-Syracuse will be lame ducks in the league next year, before they head to the ACC, so next season figures to be a strange one in the Big East.

6) Mark Cuban makes sense when he says that if a basketball player goes to college, he should be there for 3+ years; thats the way the rule is in baseball. The one-and-done rule is bad for the NBA and college ball both.

5) The Mtn, the TV network dedicated to sports in the Mountain West Conference, is shutting down May 31. Not sure if this is a pre-cursor to the MWC merging with Conference USA, but it could be.

4) Henrik Stenson was -6 thru 10 holes at the Masters, but shot an 8 on the last hole, the first 8 on the 18th at Augusta in five years (Villegas) and was -1 at day's end, four shots out of the lead.

3) Luke Donald almost got DQ'd Thursday, because a fax machine smudge made his 75 score look like 73 and it got misreported. Everything got fixed, but Donald still has some work to do to make the cut.

2) In case you're wondering why Clayton Kershaw came out after three IP in San Diego yesterday, he was very sick before the game but insisted on starting and seeing how far he could go.

1) Murray State and Florida both got good news; their leading scorers will both be back in school next year for their senior seasons. People lose jobs because kids leave school early, and sometimes, guys win big when players stay in school and then go get higher paying jobs. Billy Donovan will be at Florida for a long time, but Murray State's Prohm could strike it rich after next yesr if the Racers have another big season.

**Udog** · 04-06-2012, 08:29 AM

MLB
Dunkel

NY Yankees at Tampa Bay
The Rays look to build on their 7-0 record in James Shields' last 7 home starts. Tampa Bay is the pick (+105) according to Dunkel, which has the Rays favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+105). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, APRIL 6

Game 951-952: St. Louis at Milwaukee (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Garcia) 16.939; Milwaukee (Gallardo) 15.831
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-125); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+105); Under

Game 953-954: San Francisco at Arizona (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Lincecum) 14.744; Arizona (Kennedy) 16.207
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line: Arizona (-115); 7
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-115); Under

Game 955-956: Colorado at Houston (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Guthrie) 13.524; Houston (Rodriguez) 14.045
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Colorado (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+100); Under

Game 957-958: LA Dodgers at San Diego (4:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Billingsley) 15.843; San Diego (Luebke) 16.687
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1; 5
Vegas Line: San Diego (-130); 6
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-130); Under

Game 959-960: Chicago White Sox at Texas (2:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Danks) 14.617; Texas (Lewis) 17.674
Dunkel Line: Texas by 3; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Texas (-175); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-175); Over

Game 961-962: Minnesota at Baltimore (3:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Pavano) 15.359; Baltimore (Arrieta) 14.428
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Baltimore (-135); 9
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+115); Under

Game 963-964: NY Yankees at Tampa Bay (3:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Sabathia) 15.182; Tampa Bay (Shields) 16.403
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1; 8
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-125); 7
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+105); Over

Game 965-966: Kansas City at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Chen) 14.492; LA Angels (Weaver) 15.591
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1; 6
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-200); 7
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-200); Under

Game 967-968: Seattle at Oakland (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Vargas) 14.902; Oakland (McCarthy) 15.592
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Oakland (-140); 7
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-140); Under

**Udog** · 04-06-2012, 08:29 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

Friday, April 6

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ST LOUIS (101 - 79) at MILWAUKEE (101 - 72) - 4:10 PM
JAIME GARCIA (L) vs. YOVANI GALLARDO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 62-26 (+28.3 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 25-7 (+16.4 Units) against the money line in home games in day games over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 62-26 (+28.3 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 52-40 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 51-38 (+15.2 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
GALLARDO is 20-29 (-16.7 Units) against the money line in day games since 1997. (Team's Record)

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

JAIME GARCIA vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
GARCIA is 3-3 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 3.48 and a WHIP of 1.316.
His team's record is 5-4 (-0.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-5. (-1.3 units)

YOVANI GALLARDO vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
GALLARDO is 1-8 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 5.78 and a WHIP of 1.433.
His team's record is 2-10 (-10.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-5. (+0.0 units)
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SAN FRANCISCO (86 - 76) at ARIZONA (96 - 71) - 5:10 PM
TIM LINCECUM (R) vs. IAN KENNEDY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 97-72 (+25.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 54-31 (+15.9 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 44-29 (+15.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 97-72 (+25.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 72-48 (+27.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
KENNEDY is 25-10 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KENNEDY is 14-1 (+14.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KENNEDY is 25-10 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN FRANCISCO is 456-447 (+47.5 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.

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

TIM LINCECUM vs. ARIZONA since 1997
LINCECUM is 7-5 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 2.95 and a WHIP of 1.096.
His team's record is 9-9 (-3.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 9-9. (-1.3 units)

IAN KENNEDY vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
KENNEDY is 4-2 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 1.91 and a WHIP of 0.948.
His team's record is 5-5 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-4. (+1.8 units)

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COLORADO (73 - 89) at HOUSTON (56 - 106) - 7:05 PM
JEREMY GUTHRIE (R) vs. WANDY RODRIGUEZ (L)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 73-91 (-31.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 77-99 (-33.5 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 since 1997.
COLORADO is 66-98 (-33.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 73-91 (-31.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 102-118 (-36.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 57-107 (-34.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 21-50 (-26.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 5-21 (-14.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 55-106 (-35.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 35-80 (-34.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

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

JEREMY GUTHRIE vs. HOUSTON since 1997
GUTHRIE is 0-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 1.13 and a WHIP of 0.500.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

WANDY RODRIGUEZ vs. COLORADO since 1997
RODRIGUEZ is 4-3 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 4.43 and a WHIP of 1.508.
His team's record is 6-5 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-5. (+0.6 units)
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LA DODGERS (82 - 79) at SAN DIEGO (71 - 91) - 10:05 PM
CHAD BILLINGSLEY (R) vs. CORY LUEBKE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
LA DODGERS are 19-7 (+12.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 47-65 (-17.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 35-46 (-14.1 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 35-46 (-14.1 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 39-68 (-28.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

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

CHAD BILLINGSLEY vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
BILLINGSLEY is 10-8 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 2.89 and a WHIP of 1.235.
His team's record is 12-9 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 15-6. (+8.1 units)

CORY LUEBKE vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
LUEBKE is 1-2 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 3.72 and a WHIP of 1.138.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.1 units)
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CHI WHITE SOX (79 - 83) at TEXAS (106 - 73) - 2:05 PM
JOHN DANKS (L) vs. COLBY LEWIS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DANKS is 3-14 (-14.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday since 1997. (Team's Record)
TEXAS is 23-6 (+13.3 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 87-77 (+20.3 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 42-33 (+13.2 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 70-59 (+19.1 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.

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

JOHN DANKS vs. TEXAS since 1997
DANKS is 1-4 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 3.81 and a WHIP of 1.288.
His team's record is 4-4 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-1. (+5.9 units)

COLBY LEWIS vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
LEWIS is 2-3 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 6.16 and a WHIP of 1.553.
His team's record is 2-4 (-2.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-3. (-0.2 units)
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MINNESOTA (63 - 99) at BALTIMORE (69 - 93) - 3:05 PM
CARL PAVANO (R) vs. JAKE ARRIETA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 63-100 (-25.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 61-95 (-23.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 42-75 (-25.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
PAVANO is 149-129 (+24.2 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BALTIMORE is 122-124 (-48.1 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 since 1997.

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

CARL PAVANO vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
PAVANO is 5-5 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 3.74 and a WHIP of 1.366.
His team's record is 6-5 (-0.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 9-1. (+7.9 units)

JAKE ARRIETA vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
ARRIETA is 1-1 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.800.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)
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NY YANKEES (99 - 68) at TAMPA BAY (92 - 74) - 3:10 PM
C.C. SABATHIA (L) vs. JAMES SHIELDS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 7-15 (-13.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 435-531 (+22.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997.
SHIELDS is 12-3 (+10.8 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997. (Team's Record)
NY YANKEES are 44-13 (+26.3 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 21-30 (-24.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 3 seasons.

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

C.C. SABATHIA vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
SABATHIA is 9-7 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 3.10 and a WHIP of 1.161.
His team's record is 13-11 (-3.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 14-10. (+3.0 units)

JAMES SHIELDS vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
SHIELDS is 5-11 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 4.14 and a WHIP of 1.297.
His team's record is 6-14 (-8.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 12-8. (+3.1 units)

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KANSAS CITY (71 - 91) at LA ANGELS (86 - 76) - 10:05 PM
BRUCE CHEN (L) vs. JERED WEAVER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 226-170 (+43.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday since 1997.

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

BRUCE CHEN vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
CHEN is 1-1 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 4.24 and a WHIP of 1.157.
His team's record is 2-2 (+0.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.1 units)

JERED WEAVER vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
WEAVER is 5-4 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 2.38 and a WHIP of 1.197.
His team's record is 6-4 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 8-2. (+5.8 units)

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SEATTLE (67 - 95) at OAKLAND (74 - 88) - 10:05 PM
JASON VARGAS (L) vs. BRANDON MCCARTHY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 39-77 (-33.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 127-185 (-52.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 14-37 (-21.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 130-197 (-59.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 55-105 (-39.1 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 99-82 (+27.6 Units) against the money line in road games in April games since 1997.
OAKLAND is 90-120 (-32.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.

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

JASON VARGAS vs. OAKLAND since 1997
VARGAS is 2-4 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 4.01 and a WHIP of 1.095.
His team's record is 3-5 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-3. (+0.5 units)

BRANDON MCCARTHY vs. SEATTLE since 1997
MCCARTHY is 2-4 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 3.84 and a WHIP of 0.963.
His team's record is 5-5 (-0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-6. (-2.3 units)

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**Udog** · 04-06-2012, 08:30 AM

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, April 6

Not a lot of relevant info to give out this early in the season, but we'll do what we can.

Danks was 2-3, 8.69 in September LY, after throwing 120-pitch CG at Seattle August 27; he was 0-1, 3.80 in three starts against Texas LY. White Sox were 4-9 in his road starts LY. Lewis was 1-1, 3.80 in his four postseason starts; Rangers won six of his last eight home starts, but his last seven starts LY were all on the road. He shut the Pale Hose out in Chicago May 16, winning 4-0.

Pavano was 1-1, 5.85 in his last three road starts LY; Twins were 4-8 in his last 12 starts. Pavano was 0-2, 15.58 vs Baltimore LY, giving up 8 runs in 4.2 IP here April 19. Arrieta finished 6th inning once in his last seven starts LY (2-4, 7.18); he shut the Twins out for six innings in an 11-0 win against Minnesota and Pavano last April.

Sabathia is a workhorse; he got used twice in relief in playoffs LY, but in his last three starts, was 0-0, 4.91, allowing 36 baserunners in 18.1 IP. Sabathia was 1-2, 2.51 in four starts against the Rays LY. Shields made five starts vs Bronx LY (2-3, 2.79), with home side winning four of five games. He was 1-3, 5.46 in his last four starts overall.

Chen as an Opening Day starter wouldn't normally elicit anything close to a positive reaction, but he was 2-1, 1.53 in his last four starts LY; he allowed five runs in five IP in his start against the Angels LY, also in his first start of season. Weaver was 2-1, 2.15 in his last four starts LY-- he blanked the Royals for 6.1 IP in his only start against them, allowing two hits in a 4-2 win.

Vargas allowed one run in 6.1 IP against Oakland in Tokyo last week; he is 3-0, 2.18 in his last five starts overall- this will make it his third start in a row against the A's. McCarthy allowed one run (Ackley HR) in his seven IP against Seattle last week- they pitched in different games. He is 2-3, 2.25 in his last seven starts overall.

Garcia was 0-2, 4.21 in five postseason starts LY; he was 3-0, 4.11 in five September starts to help Redbirds get to the postseason. Garcia let up 14 runs in 13.2 IP in his last three starts vs Milwaukee, after he beat them 6-0 May 6 with a two-hit CG. Gallardo was 3-1, 2.29 in his last six starts LY; he was 0-4, 8.71 in his last four starts vs St Louis, after blanking them for eight innings last May 7.

Lincecum was 1-5, 4.50 in his last six starts LY, with Giants scoring a total of nine runs in the six games; he was 0-3, 6.35 in last three starts vs Arizona, after blanking them for eight innings May 10. Kennedy is 3-0, 1.46 in his last five starts against the Giants; he was 2-1, 2.70 in his last four starts overall.

Orioles won six of Guthrie's last seven starts LY (3-0, 3.46 in last four); he didn't pitch against the Astros. A bad Houston team was 6-6 in lefty Rodriguez' last 12 starts LY; he was 1-1, 3.60 in his last four, but gave up six runs in six IP in his only start against Colorado last season.

Billingsley got rocked in his last spring start; he was 1-1, 6.35 in his five September starts LY, lasting total of only 22.2 IP. He allowed three runs in 13 IP in two starts against San Diego. Luebke was 1-4, 4.72 in his last six starts LY; he was 902, 6.08 in two starts against the Dodgers LY.

**Udog** · 04-06-2012, 08:31 AM

MLB

Friday, April 6

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Trend Report
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2:05 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. TEXAS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi White Sox's last 6 games when playing on the road against Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Texas's last 12 games when playing Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas's last 6 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox

3:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. BALTIMORE
Minnesota is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
Minnesota is 5-20 SU in its last 25 games
Baltimore is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Minnesota
Baltimore is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games when playing at home against Minnesota

3:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. TAMPA BAY
NY Yankees are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of NY Yankees's last 12 games when playing Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against NY Yankees
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games when playing at home against NY Yankees

4:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. MILWAUKEE
The total has gone OVER in 5 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
St. Louis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing St. Louis

7:05 PM
COLORADO vs. HOUSTON
Colorado is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Houston
Colorado is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Colorado
Houston is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Colorado

7:10 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. ARIZONA
San Francisco is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Arizona
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Francisco's last 5 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Arizona is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Francisco
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arizona's last 5 games when playing at home against San Francisco

10:05 PM
LA DODGERS vs. SAN DIEGO
The total has gone UNDER in 19 of LA Dodgers's last 25 games when playing San Diego
LA Dodgers are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing San Diego
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Diego's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of San Diego's last 15 games

10:05 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. LA ANGELS
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of Kansas City's last 21 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
Kansas City is 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of LA Angels's last 21 games when playing at home against Kansas City
LA Angels are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against Kansas City

10:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. OAKLAND
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Seattle's last 5 games
Seattle is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games
Oakland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oakland's last 8 games when playing at home against Seattle

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**Udog** · 04-06-2012, 08:31 AM

MLB

Friday, April 6

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Capping the calendar: April's best and worst pitchers
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Major League Baseball trades places with college hoops as the sports flavor of the month in April. And as we usher in America's favorite pastime, let's open the season with one of our best handicapping angles – good and bad pitchers this month.

Listed below are hurlers that have enjoyed a 2-to-1 or better success ratio in team starts the last three seasons during the month of April. On the flip side, we've also listed pitchers that struggle in April team starts, winning 33 percent or less of their efforts. To qualify pitchers must have made a minimum of 10 starts, with at least one start each April over the last three years.

APRIL’S BEST PITCHERS:
Josh Beckett (Boston Red Sox) • 10-5
Classic drop-and-drive power pitcher who uses two-seam fastball and cutter. Had his pitching thumb examined right before the season began, but manager Bobby Valentine says the big right-hander is ready. Can be effective early in the year, especially when his back is right, where he can strikeout hitters with a hard curveball.

Chad Billingsley (Los Angeles Dodgers) • 11-5
If the Dodgers right-hander can maintain command and properly move his thick lower body into right slots, he can fulfill the promise many have had for him. He tends to pitch good or bad in spurts and April tends to be among his better months.

Kevin Correia (Pittsburgh Pirates) • 10-5
Correia was sensational last April and his ERA was worse each sequential month of 2011. Sound advice: Take the Pirates right-hander early, not late.

Felix Hernandez (Seattle Mariners) • 13-3
With Michael Pineda in the Big Apple, its King Felix and a staff full of court jesters. A very strong case can be made that no pitcher in baseball has a combination of four better pitches to get hitters out than Hernandez.

Josh Johnson (Miami Marlins) • 11-5
All signs point to the 6-foot-7 righty reclaiming his role as the Marlins’ No. 1 starter. Johnson has three dominate pitches he can throw for strikes and can dial up a mid-to-upper 90’s fastball on the outside corner when a batter has two strikes.

Tim Lincecum (San Francisco Giants) • 10-5
Fastball is no longer in the mid 90’s and has used the curveball more to miss bats. Some in the Giants organization would like to see more changeups, like he threw earlier in his career. A joy to watch (and bet on) and amazed he doesn’t have shampoo commercial.

Justin Masterson (Cleveland Indians) • 8-3
Has excellent boring fastball with heavy sink action that has to feel like hitting a bowling ball down in the zone. Because of delivery, slider breaks laterally to righty hitters. Ace of the Cleveland staff.

Ricky Nolasco (Miami Marlins) • 10-5
Nolasco has four good pitches he can throw for strikes and, for the first time, averaged less than one homer per nine innings last year. Not always a great focus guy and typically is a better bet on the road than at home.

James Shields (Tampa Bay Rays) • 11-5
Spent the offseason working on a more compact delivery and throwing more pitches for strikes and totaled an astonishing 11 complete games last year. Good sinking fastball, tight curve and wicked changeup as out pitch. At 30 years old, Shields is at the peak of his command and confidence.

Jered Weaver (Los Angeles Angels) • 12-2
Beating Weaver in April is like trying to sneak a fastball by Albert Pujols with a 2-0 count - it doesn’t happen often. In spite of long arms on his 6-foot-7 frame, Weaver repeats throwing motion expertly and has four nasty pitches to baffle batters.

Carlos Zambrano (Miami Marlins) • 10-5
Folks in Florida have never seen a volcano, but they might with Mt. Zambrano. The Cubs are paying 80 percent of Zambrano’s contract this season and Big Z has a skipper he trusts in Ozzie Guillen. Zambrano should be highly motivated to impress his new manager and teammates and just might get off to a good start in Miami, before regressing stuff catches up with him.

APRIL’S WORST PITCHERS:

Scott Baker (Minnesota Twins) • 3-10
On the DL with elbow tendinitis, but has been making progress at Minnesota’s minor league camp. If all goes well, Baker could be recalled by mid April when the Twins will need a fifth starter. When right, Baker throws fastball up and down the zone and can throw curve for a strike on any count.

Jeremy Guthrie (Colorado Rockies) • 4-11
After a 47-65 record in five years as a Baltimore starter, Guthrie was traded in early February to Colorado. He impressed manager Jim Tracy enough with his ability and work ethic to be the Opening Day starter. The Rockies new right-hander strikes out few batters and better not elevate the ball at Coors Field.

Matt Harrison (Texas Rangers) • 4-9
Harrison showed significant improvement in his secondary pitches a year ago, accounting for career-high 14 wins and dramatically lower ERA (3.39) and WHIP (1.28). The 26-year-old lefty might be able to remove his name from this list by next season, but has always struggled with quick loss of confidence when things go sour.

Joe Saunders (Arizona Diamondbacks) • 5-10
Saunders is just filling a spot until somebody else can take over the fifth starter role for Arizona. Never a strong punch-out hurler, Saunders was last in the National League with qualified innings in strikeouts per nine innings.

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**Udog** · 04-06-2012, 08:34 AM

MLB

Friday, April 6

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Hot lines: Friday’s best MLB bets
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New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays (+115, 7)

Two of the AL East’s best open the season in fine style when the Yankees send CC Sabathia to the hill against Tampa’s James Shields.

The big question in this one is whether Sabathia is ready for real ball after a tough spring. He was 0-1 with a 5.00 ERA, giving up 21 hits in 18 innings during exhibition play.

"I’ll be ready on Friday,'' Sabathia told reporters. "Would I like to have had more success (this spring)? Sure. But my pitches are doing what they’re supposed to. I’m ready.”

This will be his ninth career Opening Day start, so you have to think he knows what he’s talking about, especially when you consider his career ERA in spring training is 5.27.

Shields, on the other hand, is coming off a great spring (3-0, 2.08 ERA) but is only 5-11 with a 4.14 lifetime ERA against the Yanks.

Pick: Yankees

Minnesota Twins at Baltimore Orioles (-135, 9.5)

After a season in which the Twins lost 99 games, they’re trying to accentuate the positive. For the time being, the main thing is they head into the season opener healthy.

Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Denard Span all made it through Spring Training in one piece. If that trio can stay off the DL, Minnesota could bounce back in a big way after the club used the DL a major-league high 27 times last year.

"You're only as good as your last game and last year we were terrible, so I think all the sportswriters and critics are judging us on our injured lineup last year," Span told reporters. "I feel like if we can be healthy, we've already won, because we all need to be on the field -- that gives us the best chance to win."

Meanwhile, the young Orioles have more questions than answers throughout the lineup
and it’s going to take a while to see what this club is all about.

Early forecasts expect strong winds blowing in from center, so the under looks like the play here.

Pick: Under

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**Udog** · 04-06-2012, 08:37 AM

NBA
Dunkel

Friday, April 6

Memphis at Miami
The Grizzlies look to take advantage of a Miami team that is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games against teams with a winning record. Memphis is the pick (+8) according to Dunkel, which has the Heat favored by only 6. Dunkel Pick: Memphis (+8). Here are all of today's picks

FRIDAY, APRIL 6

Game 701-702: Oklahoma City at Indiana (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oklahoma City 125.053; Indiana 120.199
Dunkel Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 5; 197
Vegas Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 3 1/2; 200 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (-3 1/2); Under

Game 703-704: Washington at New Jersey (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 112.255; New Jersey 118.524
Dunkel Line & Total: New Jersey by 6 1/2; 200
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey by 5; No Total
Dunkel Pick: New Jersey (-5); N/A

Game 705-706: Detroit at Atlanta (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 115.077; Atlanta 122.822
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 7 1/2; 190
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 9; 186
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+9); Over

Game 707-708: Memphis at Miami (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Memphis 117.419; Miami 123.408
Dunkel Line & Total: Miami by 6; 186
Vegas Line & Total: Miami by 8; 189
Dunkel Pick: Memphis (+8); Under

Game 709-710: Cleveland at Toronto (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland 104.768; Toronto 123.935
Dunkel Line & Total: Toronto by 19; 186
Vegas Line & Total: Toronto by 8; 189 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-8); Under

Game 711-712: New Orleans at San Antonio (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Orleans 113.731; San Antonio 130.527
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 17; 198
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 11 1/2; 195
Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (-11 1/2); Over

Game 713-714: Charlotte at Milwaukee (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Charlotte 109.093; Milwaukee 120.454
Dunkel Line & Total: Milwaukee by 11 1/2; 207
Vegas Line & Total: Milwaukee by 13; 202
Dunkel Pick: Charlotte (+13); Over

Game 715-716: Portland at Dallas (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Portland 116.780; Dallas 120.798
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 4; 187
Vegas Line & Total: Dallas by 6 1/2; 191 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Portland (+6 1/2); Under

Game 717-718: Phoenix at Denver (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 118.376; Denver 122.512
Dunkel Line & Total: Denver by 4; 206
Vegas Line & Total: Denver by 3 1/2; 210 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Denver (-3 1/2); Under

Game 719-720: Golden State at Utah (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Golden State 111.866; Utah 122.563
Dunkel Line & Total: Utah by 10 1/2; 209
Vegas Line & Total: Utah by 8; 203
Dunkel Pick: Utah (-8); Over

Game 721-722: Houston at LA Lakers (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston 119.338; LA Lakers 123.880
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Lakers by 4 1/2; 198
Vegas Line & Total: LA Lakers by 6 1/2; 194
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+6 1/2); Over

**Udog** · 04-06-2012, 08:42 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, April 6

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OKLAHOMA CITY (40 - 14) at INDIANA (33 - 21) - 4/6/2012, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 166-116 ATS (+38.4 Units) on Friday nights since 1996.
INDIANA is 121-86 ATS (+26.4 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1996.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 132-106 ATS (+15.4 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 69-49 ATS (+15.1 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 48-27 ATS (+18.3 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 42-27 ATS (+12.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 2-2 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 3-1 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WASHINGTON (12 - 43) at NEW JERSEY (19 - 37) - 4/6/2012, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 6-3 against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 7-2 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DETROIT (21 - 33) at ATLANTA (32 - 23) - 4/6/2012, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 20-11 ATS (+7.9 Units) second half of the season this season.
DETROIT is 31-16 ATS (+13.4 Units) against Southeast division opponents over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 7-3 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 6-4 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MEMPHIS (30 - 23) at MIAMI (39 - 14) - 4/6/2012, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 84-62 ATS (+15.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 41-26 ATS (+12.4 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 45-22 ATS (+20.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 26-12 ATS (+12.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 36-58 ATS (-27.8 Units) in home games in April games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 2-2 against the spread versus MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 2-2 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CLEVELAND (17 - 35) at TORONTO (20 - 35) - 4/6/2012, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 11-20 ATS (-11.0 Units) second half of the season this season.
CLEVELAND is 36-49 ATS (-17.9 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 7-3 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 6-4 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW ORLEANS (14 - 40) at SAN ANTONIO (38 - 14) - 4/6/2012, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 119-162 ATS (-59.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 33-18 ATS (+13.2 Units) in all games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 24-14 ATS (+8.6 Units) as a favorite this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) in home games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 22-7 ATS (+14.3 Units) second half of the season this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 46-28 ATS (+15.2 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 37-20 ATS (+15.0 Units) versus poor offensive teams - scoring <=91 points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
NEW ORLEANS is 51-37 ATS (+10.3 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) in road games this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) in road games on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in road games off an upset win as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 7-4 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 9-2 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CHARLOTTE (7 - 45) at MILWAUKEE (26 - 28) - 4/6/2012, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHARLOTTE is 19-32 ATS (-16.2 Units) in all games this season.
CHARLOTTE is 19-30 ATS (-14.0 Units) as an underdog this season.
CHARLOTTE is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) on Friday nights this season.
CHARLOTTE is 9-21 ATS (-14.1 Units) against Central division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 14-27 ATS (-15.7 Units) after a division game over the last 3 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent this season.
CHARLOTTE is 10-26 ATS (-18.6 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
MILWAUKEE is 121-99 ATS (+12.1 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) on Friday nights over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 30-15 ATS (+13.5 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 60-41 ATS (+14.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 54-34 ATS (+16.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 34-19 ATS (+13.1 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 139-177 ATS (-55.7 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 56-81 ATS (-33.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 6-3 against the spread versus CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
MILWAUKEE is 5-4 straight up against CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PORTLAND (26 - 29) at DALLAS (31 - 24) - 4/6/2012, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PORTLAND is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
DALLAS is 88-67 ATS (+14.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 28-16 ATS (+10.4 Units) against Northwest division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in home games after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 26-12 ATS (+12.8 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 16-30 ATS (-17.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 8-7 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 8-7 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
8 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PHOENIX (28 - 26) at DENVER (29 - 25) - 4/6/2012, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 22-39 ATS (-20.9 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 67-47 ATS (+15.3 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in a road game where the total is greater than or equal to 210 over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 21-12 ATS (+7.8 Units) second half of the season this season.
PHOENIX is 66-41 ATS (+20.9 Units) after allowing 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 56-39 ATS (+13.1 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 31-14 ATS (+15.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 67-48 ATS (+14.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 39-22 ATS (+14.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
DENVER is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in home games second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 5-3 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 5-4 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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GOLDEN STATE (21 - 32) at UTAH (28 - 27) - 4/6/2012, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 62-88 ATS (-34.8 Units) as a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 points since 1996.
UTAH is 44-28 ATS (+13.2 Units) after allowing 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in a home game where where the total is between 200 and 204.5 points over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 5-5 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 6-4 straight up against GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
8 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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HOUSTON (29 - 25) at LA LAKERS (35 - 20) - 4/6/2012, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 22-32 ATS (-13.2 Units) in all games this season.
LA LAKERS are 13-24 ATS (-13.4 Units) as a favorite this season.
LA LAKERS are 29-45 ATS (-20.5 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 11-23 ATS (-14.3 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in home games on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 161-202 ATS (-61.2 Units) after a division game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 6-3 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 6-3 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**Udog** · 04-06-2012, 08:45 AM

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, April 6

Hot Teams
-- Pacers won four of their last five games.
-- Nets covered five of last seven games, won two of last three at home.
-- Atlanta won five of its last six home games. Pistons won five of their last six games overall.
-- Miami won its last six home games (3-3 vs spread).
-- Raptors won four of their last five games.
-- San Antonio won its last nine games (6-2-1 vs spread). Hornets are 12-4 against spread in their last 16 road games.
-- Bucks won four of last five games, but covered just one of last five at home.
-- Mavericks won seven of their last nine home games (4-5 vs spread).
-- Suns won/covered five of their last seven road games.
-- Warriors covered nine of their last ten road games.
-- Lakers won last four games at Staples (1-9 vs spread in last ten).

Cold Teams
-- Thunder lost last two games, scoring 88-93 points.
-- Washington lost its last four games, but is 6-3 vs spread in its last nine road games.
-- Cavaliers lost last nine games, covered one of last eight.
-- Bobcats lost ten of their last eleven road games (4-7 vs spread).
-- Portland lost nine of their last eleven road games.
-- Nuggets are 1-7-1 vs spread in last nine home games.
-- Utah lost its last five games, three of last four by 5 or less points.
-- Rockets covered only three of last dozen road games.

Wear-and-Tear
-- Thunder: 3rd game/4 nites. Pacers: 7th game/10 nites.
-- Wizards: 7th game/9 nites. Nets: 3rd game/4 nites.
-- Pistons: 3rd game/4 nites. Hawks: 2nd game/6 nites.
-- Grizzlies: 6th game/8 nites. Heat: 3rd game/4 nites.
-- Cavaliers: 3rd game/4 nites. Raptors: 3rd game/4 nites.
-- Hornets: 2nd game/5 nites. Spurs: 3rd game/4 nites.
-- Bobcats: 3rd game/4 nites. Bucks: 3rd game/5 nites.
-- Blazers: 6th game/9 nites. Mavericks: 3rd game/5 nites.
-- Suns: 3rd game/4 nites. Nuggets: 3rd game/5 nites.
-- Warriors: 3rd game/4 nites. Jazz: 3rd game/5 nites.
-- Rockets: Had last three nites off. Lakers: 5th game/7 nites.

Totals
-- Five of last six Thunder games stayed under the total. Indiana's last four games went over.
-- Seven of last nine New Jersey games stayed under total.
-- Five of last six Detroit road games stayed under total. Atlanta's last three games all went over.
-- Eight of last nine Memphis games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 6-4 in Toronto's last ten games.
-- Four of last five Hornet games stayed under the total. Four of last five Milwaukee games went over.
-- Over is 8-4 in Charlotte's last twelve games.
-- Five of last six Portland games went over the total.
-- Over is 7-3 in last ten Phoenix road games.
-- Under is 7-2 in Golden State's last nine road games.
-- Over is 8-3 in Lakers' last eleven games.

Back-to-Back
-- Washington is 4-2 vs spread on road if it played night before.
-- Detroit is 2-0 if it won the night before.

**Udog** · 04-06-2012, 08:50 AM

NBA

Friday, April 6

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

7:00 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. INDIANA
Oklahoma City is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games
Indiana is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

7:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. NEW JERSEY
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against New Jersey
Washington is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing New Jersey
New Jersey is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games
New Jersey is 15-6 SU in its last 21 games when playing at home against Washington

7:30 PM
CLEVELAND vs. TORONTO
Cleveland is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
Cleveland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Toronto is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games

7:30 PM
MEMPHIS vs. MIAMI
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Memphis's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Memphis's last 8 games when playing Miami
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Miami is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Memphis

7:30 PM
DETROIT vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Detroit is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 6 games

8:30 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. SAN ANTONIO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
New Orleans is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Antonio's last 8 games at home

8:30 PM
CHARLOTTE vs. MILWAUKEE
Charlotte is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Charlotte's last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games when playing Charlotte
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing Charlotte

8:30 PM
PORTLAND vs. DALLAS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 6 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Portland's last 17 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Dallas is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Portland
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games when playing Portland

9:00 PM
PHOENIX vs. DENVER
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games
Phoenix is 3-6-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Denver
Denver is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Phoenix
Denver is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Phoenix

9:00 PM
GOLDEN STATE vs. UTAH
Golden State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Golden State is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Utah is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games at home
Utah is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Golden State

10:30 PM
HOUSTON vs. LA LAKERS
Houston is 3-8-1 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
Houston is 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing LA Lakers
LA Lakers are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 13 of the LA Lakers last 17 games

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**Udog** · 04-06-2012, 08:58 AM

NBA

Friday, April 6

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Fullcourt Report: NBA betting news and notes
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Boston Celtics

Ray Allen missed six straight games with a right ankle injury. But his absence has actually been a blessing in disguise for the Celtics as they won five of those six games while going 5-1 ATS.

Avery Bradley started in place of Allen in five games and emerged as a significant contributor for Boston on both ends of the court. Bradley averaged 14.6 points per game and the Celtics’ offense has really picked up the pace since he was inserting into the starting lineup.

Allen returned to the court on Wednesday night, so it will be interesting to see how head coach Doc Rivers manages Allen and Bradley going forward.

“We thought about that,” Rivers said when asked if he’d given any thought to bringing Allen off the bench. “We’ll talk about it. We’ll see how it goes, and if not, we will make a change. But we like what we have.”

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls have lost back-to-back games heading into their Thursday night home contest against the Celtics. It’s the first time Chicago has lost two consecutive outings over its last 86 games overall. Head coach Tom Thibodeau called it the worst consecutive performances since he arrived last season.

“I felt like we let go of the rope,” Thibodeau told reporters. “Usually, we’re a team that has shown great fight, great resolve. We get down; we fight back. I don’t feel we ever let go of the rope. The last two games, we let go of the rope.”

Derrick Rose has missed the last 11 games with a groin injury and the Bulls are 6-5 ATS without him. But reports out of Chicago indicate that Rose is close to returning.

“Obviously, the injury was pretty serious,” Bulls GM Gar Forman told the media. “Through the process, he has continued to make progress. Tuesday was his first day on the floor going full speed as far as a basketball workout; running, sliding, shooting. He was in a full lather for probably close to an hour. This was the next step. Hopefully, we'll have a resolution pretty soon.”

Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland has struggled this season, with just 17 wins heading into Friday night's game in Toronto. The Cavaliers are also on a 1-8 ATS slide and will be without their best player, Kyrie Irving, who will miss as many as 10 days after aggravating a sprained right shoulder.

Irving, the NBA’s leading rookie scorer, averages 18.8 points and 5.7 assists per game. Cleveland will play six games in 10 days and eight games in 12 days. Head coach Byron Scott is thinking about shutting Irving down for the rest of the season.

“I think by the time that he could probably return, there might be two weeks left in the season. So I've thought about sitting him,” he told reporters.

Miami Heat

Miami played without Dwyane Wade (bruised left knee) Tuesday night and the Heat still beat the Sixers 99-93 behind 41 points from LeBron James.

That was the 10th game Wade has missed this season and it’s interesting to note that Miami is 7-3 over/under in those outings. He returned to the court for Miami’s 98-93 win over Oklahoma City Wednesday and that game played under the total.

“We want to be very smart about it right now,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said about Wade’s knee injury. “It’s nothing serious, but it is a bruise. He is sore. You don’t want to have a minor injury like this turn into something more, particularly when it has an opportunity to heal.”

Miami plays just three home games over the next seven days, so Wade should be able to get plenty of rest for his ailing knee.

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**Udog** · 04-06-2012, 09:00 AM

NBA

Friday, April 6

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Pick 'n' roll: Friday's best NBA bets
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Phoenix Suns at Denver Nuggets (-3.5, 210.5)

For now at least, Steve Nash is a Phoenix Sun and he’s doing everything he can to get this club into the playoffs after a terrible start to the year.

Nash hit a jumper with 1.7 seconds left to lift the Suns to a 107-105 victory at Utah Wednesday, helping his club to improve to 5-2 both straight up and against the spread in its last seven.

The win also moved Phoenix into ninth place in the West, a half-game ahead of the Jazz and a game behind Denver and Houston ahead of Thursday’s action.

"I think to be over .500 right now, we've overachieved," Nash told reporters. "We are gaining confidence, and we believe that we can keep winning. The spirit is good. Guys are sticking together and playing hard. When we were 12-19, it could have gone the other way. Obviously we hung together.”

Meanwhile, Denver is just 3-6 straight up and against the spread in its last nine. Nash and the Suns are coming hard for eighth spot.

Pick: Suns

Oklahoma City Thunder at Indiana Pacers (3.5, 200)

A lot of teams in the Association say they try not to pay too much attention to schedules and standings. The Indiana Pacers aren’t one of them.

Indiana has won three straight to move into third place in the Eastern Conference, but they know how crowded those standings could be by the end of the regular season.

The Pacers have this big game against the Thunder Friday before the Boston Celtics come to town Saturday.

"Back-to-back games are less about rest, but more about lack of preparation," coach Frank Vogel told reporters. "Oklahoma City may be the best team in the NBA, right up there with Miami and Chicago. We're looking forward to using that as a barometer to see where we're at. It's a big challenge this weekend."

We like the way Vogel is handling the Pacers right now.

Pick: Pacers

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Friday's Trends and Indexes - 4/6 (NBA, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

Friday's Trends and Indexes - 4/6 (NBA, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

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