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**StarDust Bum** · 04-13-2012, 02:44 PM

Desperate Mavericks Travel To Meet Portland Trail Blazers

The Dallas Mavericks will continue their West Coast road trip when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night. The Mavs are just one of many teams fighting for the final few playoff spots in the Western Conference.

Let’s first review a packed Wednesday with Houston surprisingly losing at home to Utah, 103-91 as 6-point favorites. The Rockets had just gone 4-0 SU and ATS on their road trip and were 20-8 SU (18-10 ATS) at home beforehand. However, Utah played like it needed the win more and is just outside the current playoff teams at ninth, while Houston is tied-for-sixth with Dallas and Denver.

Thursday’s marquee matchup is Miami (+2) at Chicago with a total of 186. Chicago point guard Derrick Rose (ankle) is probable and coach Tom Thibodeau wants this one badly at just three games ahead of the Heat for top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Don Best NBA analyst Monte Scates would be resting Rose if he were in Thibodeau’s shoes, but the defensive minded coach thinks otherwise and we’ll see if it pays off.

Also on Thursday is Memphis (+5½) at San Antonio with a total of 196½. The Spurs were dominated on Wednesday night by the Lakers, 98-84 as 10-point home favorites. Los Angeles was without Kobe Bryant, but Andrew Bynum had a whopping 30 rebounds (eight offensive) and the edge in offensive boards was 16-1 overall.

An early look at Friday has Houston back at home against Phoenix. This is basically a playoff game with a ‘must-win’ situation for both teams. The Suns do need it a little more and are 5-2 SU and ATS in their last seven games. They are coming off a road loss at Memphis (104-93) and five of their next six are against teams that would be in the playoffs if it started today.

Dallas is also at Portland on Friday and Mark Cuban’s team is now in potential danger of not making the playoffs. That was once unthinkable for the defending champs.

The Mavericks got rid of the disgruntled Lamar Odom in hopes of getting the rest of the guys to jell. They did win their first game without Odom (110-100 at home over Sacramento on Tuesday), but are just 2-3 SU and ATS in their last five overall and will playing in a back-to-back after visiting Golden State on Thursday.

There are some big ‘over’ trends for Friday’s game at 6-2 in Dallas’ last eight away and 12-5 in its last 17 overall. The ‘over’ is 8-2 in Portland’s last 10. Both meetings between the teams this year went ‘over’ with Portland 2-0 ATS (1-1 SU).

One final note is that Trail Blazers power forward LaMarcus Aldridge (hip) is out indefinitely.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-13-2012, 02:47 PM

Diamond Trends - Friday

April 13, 2012

SU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Astros are 0-14 since April 24, 2011 on the road after allowing 6+ runs in a night game for a net profit of $1400 when playing against.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Indians are 10-0-1 OU since August 21, 2011 on the road after allowing 6+ runs if it’s not the last game of the season for a net profit of $1000 when playing the over.

STARTER TREND OF THE DAY:

The Red Sox are 9-0 since April 10, 2011 when Josh Beckett starts after facing 25 or fewer hitters for a net profit of $905.

MLB BIBLE TREND OF THE DAY:

The Twins are 9-0 (5.2 rpg) since 2009 after a game where they had 17+ hits.

TODAY’S TRENDS:

The Twins are 0-12 since July 18, 2011 at home and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $1251 when playing against.over.

The White Sox are 0-7 OU since May 03, 2011 at home after a win in which their opponent left 18+ men on base for a net profit of $700 when playing the under.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-13-2012, 02:49 PM

Friday's MLB Tips

April 13, 2012

There are 15 games on Friday’s MLB card, including six afternoon tilts. Let’s take a look at Milwaukee-Atlanta and Oakland-Seattle and more…

**Brewers at Braves**

--Atlanta (2-4, -298) will make its home debut after winning back-to-back games at Houston to take the three-game series. The Braves lost their first four outings, but they are 2-0 since veteran third baseman Chipper Jones came off of the disabled list. Jones belted a two-run homer to break a 1-1 tie and propel Atlanta to a 6-4 win over the Astros on Tuesday. He went 2-for-5 in Wednesday’s 6-3 triumph to improve to 4-for-9 (.444) at the plate.

--As of early this morning, most betting shops had Atlanta installed as a minus-130 favorite. Bettors can back the Braves on the run line (minus 1 ½ runs) for a generous plus-160 return (risk $100 to win $160). The total is 7 ½ ‘over’ (minus-115).

--Milwaukee (4-3, +34) owns a 3-1 road record after failing to sweep the Cubs in Thursday’s 8-0 loss at Wrigley Field. The Brewers got blown out as minus-125 favorites.

--Milwaukee skipper Ron Roenicke will give the starting nod to Randy Wolf, who is 5-7 with a 5.01 ERA in 18 career appearances (16 starts) at The Ted. The veteran southpaw is an abysmal 5-12 with a 5.28 ERA in 28 lifetime outings against the Braves.

--Fredi Gonzalez will counter Wolf with Jair Jurrjens, who took the loss in a 4-2 defeat against the Mets in his regular-season debut. The righty needed 102 pitches to get through 4 1/3 innings, allowing three runs and seven hits.

--Roenicke gave slugger Aramis Ramirez a day off in Thursday’s setback. He is hitting .417 (5-for-12) with a homer off Jurrjens.

--Chipper Jones is batting .377 (20-for-53) with four home runs and seven doubles versus Wolf.

--Milwaukee closer John Axford saved his 45th consecutive game in Wednesday’s win over the Cubs. That’s the fifth-best streak in MLB history.

--The ‘over’ has hit in four consecutive Atlanta games to improve to 4-2 overall for the season.

--Milwaukee has seen the ‘over’ cash at a 4-2 overall clip with it going 2-1 in its three road assignments.

--The Braves swept a four-game series from the Brewers in Atlanta last season.

--The first pitch from Jurrjens is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. Eastern.

**A’s at Mariners**

--Most books are listing Seattle (4-4, +136) as a minus-165 ‘chalk’ with the A’s available for a payout in the +145-150 range. Gamblers can take the Mariners on the run line for a plus-140 return.

--Oakland (3-4, -154) will play its first true road game in this spot. The A’s have already faced the M’s four times, splitting a two-game series in Japan before losing a pair of home contests. They had Thursday off following Wednesday’s 5-4 win over Kansas City in the rubber game of a three-game set.

--Oakland rallied from a 4-3 deficit in the 10th inning with a pair of runs off of KC’s Jonathan Broxton to capture a 5-4 victory. Broxton walked a pair of batters and beaned two others to lose the game for the Royals. Jonny Gomes took the hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded to plate the winning run. Gomes also blasted two-run homer earlier in the game.

--Seattle will go with ace Felix Hernandez on the hill in the club’s home opener. Hernandez was sharp in his season debut, giving up just one run in eight strong innings of a game the M’s eventually won by a 3-1 count in 11 innings. King Felix faced Oakland again this past Saturday, notching the victory although he surrendered six earned runs in 6 1/3 innings.

--Oakland will go with Bartolo Colon, who was brilliant against Seattle in Tokyo. The veteran right-hander allowed just three hits and one run over eight innings. However, the M’s roughed up Colon last Saturday by reaching him for seven runs.

--Seattle perennial All-Star right fielder Ichiro Suzuki is hitting in the No. 3 slot this year instead of lead-off. He has three multi-hit games this year. The 38-year-old Suzuki is a career .326 hitter and has a .329 career average against Oakland.

--The ‘under’ is 5-3 overall for the M’s, 4-3 overall for the A’s.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

--With an MLB-worst 1-5 record, Boston will face Tampa Bay today at 2:05 p.m. Eastern at Fenway Park. Josh Beckett will toe the rubber for the Red Sox with the Rays countering with David Price. Most spots have Bobby Valentine’s squad listed as a a minus-120 favorite.

--The fourth home opener at the new Yankee Stadium will take place today in the Bronx, as New York takes on the Angels at 1:05 p.m. Eastern. The Yankees are minus-140 ‘chalk.’

--Cleveland inked veteran outfielder Johnny Damon to a one-year contract Thursday worth $1.25 million. The 38-year old will be playing for his seventh career team and the fourth in four seasons. Damon, a .285 career hitter, is 277 hits shy of the coveted 3,000 mark.

--The Dodgers swept Pittsburgh with last night’s 3-2 win as minus-135 favorites. They are the biggest money makers in baseball to date with their 6-1 record that’s yielded a +518 profit (assuming plays of 100 for each game). L.A. is a minus-125 home favorite in tonight’s series opener against San Diego.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-13-2012, 02:51 PM

Hoop Trends - Friday

April 13, 2012

SU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Knicks are 0-13-1 ATS (-9.5 ppg) since November 03, 2006 off a win of four points or fewer as a dog in which they held a double digit lead.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Wizards are 0-11-2 OU (-10.0 ppg) since April 13, 2009 with at least one day of rest after a win in which they shot at least 50% from the field.

PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:

The Wizards are 0-10 ATS (-6.1 ppg) since December 05, 2010 on the road after a win at home in which John Wall was not the Wizards’ high scorer.

CHOICE TREND:

The Hawks are 0-11-1 ATS (-9.8 ppg) since April 26, 2010 after a loss on the road in which Jeff Teague shot better than 66% from the field.

TODAY’S TRENDS:

The Lakers are 0-9 ATS (-8.5 ppg) since June 12, 2008 at home after winning the previous matchup in which Pau Gasol had more rebounds than points.

The Bucks are 0-10-1 ATS (-8.1 ppg) since April 10, 2002 on the road off a loss as a home favorite in which they led at the end of the third quarter.

The Celtics are 0-12 OU (-15.9 ppg) since May 30, 2008 on the road after a win in which Rajon Rondo shot worse than 33% from the field.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-13-2012, 02:57 PM

MLB Series Preview: Angels at Yankees

LOS ANGELES ANGELS (2-4)

at NEW YORK YANKEES (3-3)

Sportsbook.com Series Line: TBD

The Yankees host their first home series of the year this weekend when Albert Pujols and the Angels come to town.

Neither team is playing up to its capabilities right now as the Angels lost both series to subpar teams (Royals and Twins) and the Yankees needed extra innings in two straight wins over the dreadful Orioles to get back to .500. Pujols, who hasn’t played against New York since 2005, is struggling in his first AL stint, batting just .217 (5-for-23) with no homers and two RBI. But the reason the Angels won’t win this series is their atrocious pitching that sports a 4.85 ERA and 1.38 WHIP, allowing a punchless Twins team to score 16 runs over two straight defeats. This is not the opponent or stadium to try to correct pitching woes. The Angels are 4-8 all-time at new Yankee Stadium, sporting a hefty 6.03 ERA and 1.71 WHIP. And despite its 3-3 record, New York has 5+ runs and 9+ hits in five of its six games this year. Expect more explosive offense as the Yankees avoid L.A.’s top two pitchers in Jered Weaver and Dan Haren. The pick here is NEW YORK to win the series.

This FoxSheets coaching trend also likes the Yankees to prevail:

JOE GIRARDI is 90-38 (70.3%, +23.0 Units) against the money line in home games vs. teams who strand 6.9 or less runners on base per game as the manager of N.Y. YANKEES. The average score was N.Y. YANKEES 6.2, OPPONENT 4.1 - (Rating = 1*).

Game 1: Friday, 1:05 p.m. ET
New York -140, Los Angeles +130, Total: 9.5
Hiroki Kuroda will pitch his first Yankees home game and hopes to improve greatly from his team debut in Tampa Bay (5.2 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 2 K). Angels right-hander Ervin Santana had a similarly terrible start in his season debut versus Kansas City (5.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K). However, Kuroda did a phenomenal job shutting down the Angels in two starts last year, allowing just two runs and six hits in 12 innings of work with six strikeouts and two walks (0.67 WHIP). Santana has had very little success versus New York in his career, going 5-5 with a 5.55 ERA and 1.58 WHIP in 12 starts against them. In his past six starts facing the Bombers, he is 0-4 with a 6.32 ERA and 1.73 WHIP. Combine that with the Yankees’ dominance in day games since the start of 2011 (44-15, 74.6%, +23.9 Units), and the play for Friday’s opener is NEW YORK.

Game 2: Saturday, 1:05 p.m. ET
The Angels will trot out high-priced free agent C.J. Wilson for Saturday’s game, and the lefty will be opposed by Phil Hughes. Wilson had a stellar debut with his new team Monday at Minnesota, allowing just one run on three hits in seven strong innings. He struck out five, but he did walk four batters. Wilson has never beaten the Yankees in his career, spanning 21 games and four starts, going 0-3 with a 3.80 ERA and 1.39 WHIP. His numbers have been pretty solid in new Yankee Stadium though (3.38 ERA, 1.29 WHIP). Hughes wasn’t great in his 2012 debut, allowing two runs, five hits and two walks in just 4.2 innings of work. He threw 99 pitches and finished with five strikeouts. Hughes was downright atrocious in seven home starts last year, posting a 7.83 ERA and 1.65 WHIP, and surrendering a .326 opponents’ BA. The pick here is Wilson to lead LOS ANGELES to victory.

Game 3: Sunday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Sunday night’s series finale pits Angels journeyman Jerome Williams against Yankees 25-year-old righty Ivan Nova. Williams will be making his first appearance this season, while Nova threw a gem on Monday, allowing just two runs in seven innings (10 H, 0 BB, 7 K) in a win over Baltimore. Williams has never been a road warrior in his up-and-down career, sporting a 4.36 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in 43 away games (39 starts). In his past three seasons (2006, 2007 and 2011), these road numbers are a horrendous 1-4, 7.45 ERA and 2.02 WHIP. On the other hand, Nova was 8-2 at home last year, helping the Yankees post a 10-4 record in his 14 starts at Yankee Stadium, including wins in eight of Nova’s final nine home outings. The pick here is NEW YORK to close out the series with a victory.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-13-2012, 02:59 PM

Dodgers seek 7th win of season Friday vs. Padres

SAN DIEGO PADRES (2-5)

at LOS ANGELES DODGERS (6-1)

First pitch: Friday, 10:10 p.m. EDT
Line: Los Angeles -125, San Diego +115, Total: 7

The red-hot Dodgers look for their seventh win in eight games as they take on the division rival Padres for the fifth time this young season on Friday night.

Although Los Angeles has just one loss this season, that one defeat came last Sunday when San Diego lefty Clayton Richard beat Aaron Harang, and this same pitching matchup will occur again on Friday night. In that matchup, Richard tossed seven strong innings, allowing just two hits and zero earned runs, while Harang allowed 12 base-runners (7 hits, 5 walks) and four runs (three earned) in just 4.1 innings of work. These outings continued career trends against each opponent as Richard is now 5-1 with a 2.18 ERA and 1.17 WHIP lifetime versus the Dodgers and Harang is 3-5 with a 4.50 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 10 career starts against the Padres. And although Los Angeles just swept the Pirates, it scored just nine total runs in the three victories. The pick here is slight underdog SAN DIEGO to get the series-opening victory.

This three-star FoxSheets trend also favors the Padres:

Play On - All underdogs with a money line of +100 or higher (SAN DIEGO) - terrible offensive team - scoring <=3.8 runs/game on the season (NL), after a combined score of 4 runs or less 2 straight games. (48-31 since 1997.) (60.8%, +32.3 units. Rating = 3*).

San Diego’s offense has been awful so far this season, batting .179 with a .274 slugging percentage. None of the regulars are batting above .250, with five everyday starters hitting below the Mendoza line. C Nick Hundley is 0-for-19 with 7 K while 2B Orlando Hudson (.130 BA), 1B Jesus Guzman (.172 BA), 3B Chase Headley (.174 BA) and OF Yonder Alonso (.190 BA) have all struggled mightily.

Richard’s control was excellent in Sunday’s win as he needed just 83 pitches to record 21 outs. He fanned three and did not issue a walk. Richard has not been great outside of spacious Petco Park in his career (17-14, 5.00 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, .309 Opp. BA), but he has been very effective at Dodger Stadium, going 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA. Los Angeles batters have reached base 34 times in these 20 innings, but scored just six runs in these three Richard starts.

The Dodgers scored 21 runs in the four-game, season-opening set in San Diego, but batted just .216 with 31 strikeouts and 15 walks. All-Star CF Matt Kemp had a monster series against the Padres (7-for-17, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 6 runs), while RF Andre Ethier smacked four extra-base hits and also drove in eight runs. Kemp has been pretty successful against Richard in his career (7-for-21, .905 OPS), but the left-handed hitting Ethier is a dreadful 2-for-19 against the big southpaw.

Harang, who pitched for the Padres last season, hasn’t beaten them since 2005. In seven starts since, Harang is a woeful 0-5 with a 5.32 ERA versus San Diego. Harang has also struggled early in the season since 2010, going 5-5 with a 5.52 ERA in 11 April starts.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-13-2012, 03:01 PM

MLB Series Preview: Brewers at Braves

MILWAUKEE BREWERS (4-3)

at ATLANTA BRAVES (2-4)

Sportsbook.com Series Line: Atlanta -150, Milwaukee +120

For the first time this season, the Braves will play in their home park of Turner Field, setting up for a six-game homestand that begins with a three-game set against the Brewers on Friday night.

The Braves stumbled out of the gate, getting swept by the lowly Mets and losing their next game against the even more dreadful Astros. Two consecutive six-run performances led them to rebound and take the series against Houston, but this is a team still not playing up to its potential. Although OF Jason Heyward has displayed a strong bat and patience (.381 OBP, 1.013 OPS) to start the year, a number of the other regulars are looking overmatched at the dish. 1B Freddie Freeman is hitting .231 while 2B Dan Uggla, C Brian McCann and OF Michael Bourn are all hitting below .200. Although Milwaukee has similar struggles with players in extreme cold funks to start the season—OF Nyjer Morgan, 2B Rickie Weeks, SS Alex Gonzalez and 3B Aramis Ramirez are all hitting below .200—they have made up for it with the long ball, with 10 team home runs in their seven games. Reigning MVP Ryan Braun has just one of those long balls, but is also hitting .304 with a .936 OPS. Against three pitchers with 0-1 records, the pick here is underdog MILWAUKEE to win the series.

This strong FoxSheets trend also likes the Brew Crew to prevail:

MILWAUKEE is 64-27 (70.3%, +29.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. The average score was MILWAUKEE 5.0, OPPONENT 3.8 - (Rating = 2*).

Game 1: Friday, 7:35 p.m. ET
Atlanta -125, Milwaukee +115, Total: 7.5
The two starters Jair Jurrjens and Randy Wolf both lost their first decisions of the season. Jurrjens made it through just 4.1 innings against the Mets, allowing seven hits and walking three. His control can fluctuate so it is not a good sign that he had poor command to start the season. Unlike the first game of the year, however, when Jurrjens only received two runs of support, he should have plenty of runs behind him against Randy Wolf, who has spent his career getting killed by the Braves. Wolf has plenty of experience seeing NL East foes, but has a 5-12 record and 5.28 ERA in his career against Atlanta. This may be the only game the Braves have a chance at salvaging this series. Play on ATLANTA to put up a high scoring number and take the opener.

Game 2: Saturday, 7:10 p.m. ET
Like Jurrjens, Saturday starter Mike Minor got beaten up by the Mets, allowing six earned runs in five innings. Similarly, he also struggled with his control with six walks—a disastrous recipe against a team deft at going yard like Milwaukee. Shaun Marcum battled through two home runs to grind out a quality start versus the Cubs his first time out, starting the year 1-0. In two career starts vs. Atlanta, Marcum is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA. He also pitches better on the road in his career with a 3.65 ERA away from home and a 27-16 record. In April, batters hit just .216 against this right-hander, and the Braves will not get any freebies against him as he allowed no walks in the opener and generally has great control. The pick here is MILWAUKEE in game two.

Game 3: Sunday, 1:35 p.m. ET
Strikeout-machine Brandon Beachy takes the hill for Atlanta in the final game, facing 30-year-old late-bloomer Chris Narveson. Beachy has to be a major spot of concern for the Braves right now. His numbers regressed significantly down the stretch last season with a 5.27 ERA in September, while he never made it through seven innings of work dating back until July of last year. In that September funk he walked 14 in 27.1 innings. All of these trends continued in his loss to Houston when he lasted just five innings against the Astros, walking three batters and yielding four runs. Narveson was his usual respectable, yet unspectacular, self in his opener, giving up three runs in five innings while inducing a high number of groundballs to keep the Cubs in check. Against the slumping Beachy, take MILWAUKEE to finish the series with a win.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-13-2012, 03:03 PM

Suns look to stay hot in Houston Friday

PHOENIX SUNS (30-28)

at HOUSTON ROCKETS (32-26)

Tip-off: Friday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Line: Houston -4, Total: 199½

Two teams desperately trying to reach the postseason square off in a key Western Conference matchup Friday night when the Rockets host the Suns.

Phoenix has always enjoyed visiting Houston, going 13-2 ATS (10-5 SU) at Toyota Center since 2004. But the Rockets have played very well at home this year, going 20-9 SU and 18-11 ATS (62%). Who will prevail on Friday? For the answer, connect to the NBA Weekend Pass for ATS picks covering all the marquee NBA games each day. The NBA Pass continues to sizzle, going 19-11 ATS (63.3%) in April.

Phoenix has been decent on the road this season, going 13-17 SU and an even 15-15 ATS. The offense scores just 96.1 PPG (44.9% FG) outside of the desert, but the team’s main concern is a defense that has allowed 101.8 PPG on 46% FG in the past five games. The Suns offense has been extremely efficient over the past three games though, scoring 110.7 PPG on 52% FG with just 10.7 turnovers per game.

As always, the main cog to this offense is PG Steve Nash (12.8 PPG, 11.1 APG) who has 13.8 PPG (55% FG, 9-of-19 threes) and 9.5 APG in his past six games. He hasn’t looked for his shot much against Houston this year, scoring just 8.0 PPG on 11-of-18 FG, but he has controlled the game with 33 assists and just nine turnovers in the season series. C Marcin Gortat (15.8 PPG, 9.8 RPG) has had a roller coaster month, scoring 9, 14, 4 and 19 points in his past four games. However, he has made at least 55% FG in 11 straight games, scoring 16.5 PPG on 62.3% FG and grabbing 8.8 RPG. SG Shannon Brown (10.6 PPG) has done a solid job piling up points since being inserted into the starting lineup, averaging 17.6 PPG, thanks in part to making 21-of-54 threes (39%). However, his minutes will likely decrease as SF Grant Hill (10.7 PPG) is expected to return to action Friday after missing nine games following undergoing knee surgery. This three-star FoxSheets trend favors the Suns:

Play Against - Any team (HOUSTON) - off a double-digit loss as a home favorite of 6 or more, a marginal winning team (51% to 60%) playing a winning team. (36-12 since 1996.) (75%, +22.8 units. Rating = 3*).

Houston has allowed 100+ points in four of its past five home games, losing 103-91 to Utah on Wednesday. The Rockets offense was horrible in that game, making just 35.6% FG and connecting on just 4-of-20 three-point attempts. But not all was bad though, as the team dished out 21 assists on its 32 field goals while committing just nine turnovers.

PG Kyle Lowry (15.1 PPG, 7.0 APG, 5.1 RPG) continues to work back from his bacterial infection that cost him 15 games. Head coach Kevin McHale has limited Lowry to 20.3 MPG in his three games since the ailment, and Lowry has responded with 15 assists and only three turnovers. He’s also scored 14.0 PPG in his past two games, making 8-of-14 FG and 10-of-11 free throws. With SG Kevin Martin out indefinitely with a shoulder injury, SG Goran Dragic (10.9 PPG, 5.0 APG) has stepped up in a big way. Dragic has averaged 18.6 PPG (50% FG, 42% threes) and 8.6 APG in 18 games since being inserted into the starting lineup. For some reason, he has been shooting much worse at home (42.6% FG, 31% threes) than on the road (46.1% FG, 39% threes) this season. This includes his 3-for-13 performance (0-for-5 threes) in the loss to Utah. PF Luis Scola (15.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG) remains rock-steady in the frontcourt with 18 straight double-figure scoring games. But after making 54% of his shots in March, he has been off the mark in April at 44% FG. This strong FoxSheets trend predicts the Rockets will win and cover:

HOUSTON is 11-2 ATS (84.6%, +8.8 Units) in home games after 1 or more consecutive losses this season. The average score was HOUSTON 101.8, OPPONENT 93.4 - (Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 04-13-2012, 03:05 PM

Mavs visit Aldridge-less Blazers Friday night

DALLAS MAVERICKS (33-26)

at PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (28-31)

Tip-off: Friday, 10:35 p.m. ET
Line: Dallas -2, Total: 191

The Blazers look to upend the Mavs for the second Friday in a row when the teams meet in Portland.

The Blazers got the better of the Mavs in Dallas last Friday, beating them 99-97 in overtime. But this time around, they’ll be without All-Star PF LaMarcus Aldridge, who is out with a hip injury. Who will prevail on Friday? For the answer, connect to the NBA Weekday Pass for ATS picks covering all the marquee NBA games each day. The NBA Pass continues to sizzle, going 19-11 ATS (63.3%) in April.

The Mavs were solid in a road win over an always tougher-than-expected Warriors team. After a couple of rough games earlier in the week in which he shot a combined 9-for-30 from the field (30.0%), PF Dirk Nowitzki (21.2 PPG) bounced back with a solid showing against the Warriors, going for 27 points on 10-for-23 FG.

After taking a couple days off earlier in the week, PG Jason Kidd (6.0 PPG, 5.4 APG) gave a vintage performance with nine points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. Dallas also got a big night from its bench, led by another solid performance from PF Brandan Wright (7.0 PPG). Wright had 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting and nine rebounds and is now averaging 13.5 PPG on 63.9% FG and 6.0 RPG over his past four contests. This rare four-star FoxSheets trend sides with the Mavericks:

PORTLAND is 1-13 ATS (7.1%, -13.3 Units) when the line is +3 to -3 this season. The average score was PORTLAND 90.5, OPPONENT 98.1 - (Rating = 4*).

The Blazers actually got by fine without Aldridge on Wednesday night when they beat the Warriors 118-110 at home. Sixth man Jamal Crawford (13.6 PPG on 38.4% FG) was uncharacteristically efficient, scoring 36 points and shooting 10-for-18 from the field against Golden State’s soft defense. Crawford had averaged 12.5 PPG and shot 28.6% FG in his previous four games.

Starting in place of Aldridge, one-dimensional but offensively capable PF J.J. Hickson (14.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG in 12 games with Portland) had 23 points and 13 rebounds. PG Raymond Felton (11.2 PPG, 6.6 APG) had another strong game as well, going for 16 points and 10 assists. Felton has been excellent over the past week, going for 17.5 PPG on 54.9% FG, 52.9% from three and 8.5 APG. He blew up for 30 points on 12-for-18 FG and 5-for-8 from three in last Friday’s win at Dallas. This strong FoxSheets trend expects the Blazers to win at home:

PORTLAND is 19-8 ATS (70.4%, +10.2 Units) in home games after failing to cover 2 of their last 3 against the spread over the last 2 seasons. The average score was PORTLAND 103.2, OPPONENT 92.9 - (Rating = 1*).

**StarDust Bum** · 04-13-2012, 03:08 PM

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, April 13

Not a lot of relevant info to give out this early in the season, but we'll do what we can for the first week or so, until some trends develop.

Hot pitchers
-- Samardzija allowed three runs in 8.2 IP in winning his first '12 start, his 6th big league start, first since '10.
-- Dickey is 2-2, 1.82 in his last five starts.
-- Harrell has a 2.93 RA in his last three starts.
-- Nicasio has a 2.86 RA in his last six starts.
-- Richard is 4-0, 1.88 in his last four starts.

-- Hochevar is 4-1, 3.44 in his last five starts.
-- Morrow is 2-0, 1.29 in his last four starts. Hunter is 2-0, 2.81 in his last four starts.
-- Swarzak is 1-1, 2.60 in his last three starts.
-- FHernandez is 1-0, 4.40 in two starts vs Oakland this year; this is his third start in 16 days vs Oakland.

Cold pitchers
-- Wainwright allowed three runs in 5.2 IP in his first '12, his first start since missing LY with an injury.
-- McDonald is 0-2, 6.75 in his last four starts. Cain is 1-2, 6.38 in his last three outings.
-- Lee is 1-3, 3.96 in his last four starts.
-- Arroyo is 1-2, 5.73 in his last seven starts. Zimmerman is 1-3, 3.30 in his last five outings.
-- Nolasco is 2-4, 7.79 in his last nine starts.
-- Jurrjens is 1-4, 5.87 in his last eight starts. Wolf is 1-3, 7.42 in his last five starts.
-- LHudson is 1-4, 5.23 in his last five starts.
-- Former Padre Harang is 1-3, 3.86 in his last four starts.

-- ESantana is 0-4, 6.30 in his last five starts. Kuroda is 2-3, 4.59 in his last six outings.
-- Price is 1-2, 6.26 in his last four starts. Beckett is 0-3, 9.50 in his last three starts.
-- Scherzer is 0-2, 13.50 in his last four starts. Peavy is 2-2, 5.40 in his last six outings.
-- Lowe is 1-5, 7.92 in his last six starts, but he won his first start this season.
-- Harrison is 1-2, 4.82 in his last four starts.
-- Colon is 1-1, 5.84 in two starts this season, both against Seattle; this is his third start against M's in last 15 days.

Hot teams
-- Cardinals won five of their first seven games.
-- Nationals won last three games, allowing four runs.
-- Milwaukee won four of its last six games. Atlanta won its last two games, scoring 12 runs.
-- Arizona won five of its first six games.
-- Los Angeles won six of its first seven games.

-- Bronx won its last three games, scoring 17 runs; last two wins were both in extra innings.
-- Tampa Bay won four of its first six games.
-- Detroit both won five of its first six games. White Sox won three of their last four games.
-- Blue Jays won four of their first six games.
-- Texas won five of its first seven games.

Cold teams
-- Cubs lost five of their last seven games.
-- Pirates lost four of their last five games. Giants lost four of their first six games.
-- Mets lost their last two games, scoring two runs. Philly lost three of its last five games.
-- Reds lost four of their last six games.
-- Marlins lost five of their first seven games. Houston lost its last two games, allowing 12 runs.
-- Colorado lost four of its last five games.
-- Padres lost five of their first seven games.

-- Angels lost four of their last five games.
-- Red Sox lost five of their first six games.
-- Indians lost four of their first five games.
-- Orioles lost their last three games, allowing 17 runs.
-- Minnesota lost four of its first six games.
-- Oakland lost four of its first seven games; they scored six runs in last three games. Mariners lost three of their last four games.

We're going to get into totals and umpires and that good stuff, once we get enough to lnowledge this season to make it all relevant.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-13-2012, 03:18 PM

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, April 13

Hot Teams
-- Cavaliers don't win much, but they covered their last five games.
-- Hawks are 8-4 vs spread in their last dozen road games.
-- Celtics are 11-3 in last 14 games, covering six of last eight on road.
-- 76ers won their last two games, by 19-18 points. Nets covered three of their last four road games.
-- New York won/covered all eight of its home games under Woodson. Wizards are 7-4 vs spread in last 11 road games.
-- Houston won/covered four of last five games, but lost last two home games. Suns won five of their last seven games.
-- Bucks won seven of their last eight road games. Detroit won seven of its last eight at home.
-- New Orleans covered its last six home games (4-2 SU). Jazz won three of its last four games.
-- Nuggets covered seven of last eight as a road underdog.

Cold Teams
-- Pacers covered twice in last seven games as a home favorite.
-- Orlando lost five of its last seven games.
-- Raptors covered twice in last seven games as a home dog.
-- Miami lost three of last four games, including OT loss on road last night. God-awful Bobcats lost last 14 games (4-10 vs spread).
-- Thunder lost four of its last six games. Sacramento lost its last six games (0-5-1 vs spread).
-- Portland is 3-9 vs spread in game following its last 12 wins. Dallas lost 10 of its last 14 road games.
-- Lakers are 1-10 vs spread in last 11 games at Staples and only cover was against the Clippers, who also call Staples home.

Wear-and-Tear
-- Cavaliers: 3rd game/4 nites. Pacers: 3rd game/5 nites.
-- Hawks: 2nd game/6 nites. Magic: Last two nites off.
-- Celtics: 7th game/10 nites. Raptors: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Nets: Last two nites off. 76ers: 5th game/7 nites.
-- Wizards: Last two nites off. Knicks: 3rd game/4 nites.
-- Bobcats: 8th game/11 nites. Heat: 3rd game/4 nites.
-- Suns: 3rd game/5 nites. Rockets: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Kings: 5th game/7 nites. Thunder: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Bucks: 3rd game/5 nites. Pistons: 6th game/9 nites.
-- Jazz: 4th game/6 nites. Hornets: 3rd game/5 nites.
-- Mavericks: 3rd game/4 nites. Blazers: 3rd game/5 nites.
-- Nuggets: 3rd game/5 nites. Lakers: 3rd game/5 nites.

Totals
-- Seven of last eight Indiana games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Atlanta games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Toronto games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last seven New Jersey games went over total.
-- Last four Washington road games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Charlotte games went over the total.
-- You're reading ***************.com and its free!!!!
-- Last three Houston games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last seven Sacramento road games went over total.
-- Over is 10-2 in Milwaukee's last dozen road games.
-- Over is 10-4 in Utah's last fourteen road games.
-- Seven of last nine Dallas road games went over the total.
-- Four of five Laker games went over the total.

Back-to-Back
-- Bobcats are 2-6 vs spread on road if they played at home nite before. Miami is 0-3 vs spread if it lost the night before.
-- Pistons are 1-4 vs spread at home if they played on road nite before.
-- Mavericks are 4-2 vs spread playing second nite in row on road.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-13-2012, 03:56 PM

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

04/12/12 9-*8-*1 52.94% +*20 Detail
04/11/12 16-*14-*0 53.33% +*1145 Detail
04/10/12 13-*7-*1 65.00% +*2885 Detail
04/09/12 13-*10-*0 56.52% +*1880 Detail
04/08/12 13-*14-*0 48.15% -*640 Detail
04/07/12 15-*14-*0 51.72% -*440 Detail
04/06/12 3-*6-*1 33.33% -*1775 Detail

Totals 82-*73-*3 52.90% +3075

Pittsburgh - 4:35 PM ET San Francisco -167 500
San Francisco - Under 6.5 500

Chi. Cubs - 4:45 PM ET Chi. Cubs +173 500
St. Louis - Over 7.5 500

NY Mets - 7:05 PM ET NY Mets +159 500
Philadelphia - Under 6.5 500

Cincinnati - 7:05 PM ET Washington -139 500
Washington - Over 7 500

Baltimore - 7:07 PM ET Toronto -187 500
Toronto - Over 8.5 500

Houston - 7:10 PM ET Houston +186 500
Miami - Over 7.5 500

Milwaukee - 7:35 PM ET Milwaukee +120 500
Atlanta - Under 7.5 500

Texas - 8:10 PM ET Texas -153 500
Minnesota - Over 8.5 500

Arizona - 8:40 PM ET Arizona +102 500
Colorado - Over 8.5 500

Oakland - 10:10 PM ET Seattle -159 500
Seattle - Under 6.5 500

San Diego - 10:10 PM ET San Diego +116 500
LA Dodgers - Over 7 500

**StarDust Bum** · 04-13-2012, 04:05 PM

NBA:

Friday, April 13

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Boston - 7:00 PM ET Boston -7.5 500
Toronto - Over 177.5 500

New Jersey - 7:00 PM ET New Jersey +11.5 500
Philadelphia - Over 186.5 500

Atlanta - 7:00 PM ET Orlando +1.5 500
Orlando - Under 184 500

Cleveland - 7:00 PM ET Indiana -12 500
Indiana - Over 193.5 500

Washington - 7:30 PM ET New York -10.5 500
New York - Over 198 500

Charlotte - 7:30 PM ET Charlotte +16 500
Miami - Under 193 500

Milwaukee - 8:00 PM ET Detroit +5 500
Detroit - Under 202.5 500

Utah - 8:00 PM ET Utah -4 500
New Orleans - Over 191 500

Phoenix - 8:00 PM ET Houston -4 500
Houston - Under 200 500

Sacramento - 8:00 PM ET Sacramento +14.5 500
Oklahoma City - Over 213 500

Denver - 10:30 PM ET L.A. Lakers -3.5 500
L.A. Lakers - Under 201 500

Dallas - 10:30 PM ET Portland +3.5 500
Portland - Under 193 500

**Kaptain** · 04-13-2012, 04:37 PM

get em BUM

Announcement

The Bum's Friday's Best Bets MLB - NBA !

The Bum's Friday's Best Bets MLB - NBA !

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